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Why Am I Doing This?

I have spent the past month trying to get a machine (computer) built to serve as a honeypot. What is a honeypot, you ask? Well, for my less-than-geeky friends, it is a sneaky little trickster. It sits on my home network and pretends to be a webserver, ftp server, or whatever I want it to be. It is really just an information gathering/tarpitting tool. So, in short, it lets me know what the hackers/bots are up to and keeps them busy or locked up.

I know, I really need a hobby. This is my hobby. This is what I like to do in my free time. I like to test myself and see if I can learn something new. It took me a while to gather enough spare parts to build the box. Then, I had to load the OS (Linux, of course). Then I had to compile a few programs from source (and meet a lot of dependencies). And now I have a hot little box with an identity crisis to play with.

I just like to be able to tell people that I am running a honeypot at home. Who else does this? Not many home users. I also like to say that I am running a Linux-based firewall with a DMZ (De-militarized Zone) and a file server (Windows OS). I also like to say that I have a Linksys wireless router running Linux that provides my wireless access. I am just that way. I am a geek. I get pleasure out of doing nerdy things just to say I accomplished them.

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3 Responses to “Why Am I Doing This?”

  1. You might find this site interesting based on this blog entry. http://www.grc.com/securitynow.htm If you haven’t already heard of it, it is a podcast with Leo Laporte (from Tech TV days of old) and Steve Gibson. All they talk about is network security and fun stuff like that. Episode 2 might also be of interest as it is about HoneyMonkeys. I guess they would be first cousins of your honeypots.

  2. Tim’s right, Security Now is fantastic.

    So do you get all the jokes in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw

    :)

    I do. Sigh.

  3. I agree guys. Thanks for visiting. I hope to keep some interesting geek articles and some not-so-geek stuff as well.

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