What does the term 'honeypot' refer to in cybersecurity?

The term 'honeypot' in cybersecurity refers to a decoy system that is intentionally set up to attract cyber attackers and study their behavior and techniques. This allows security professionals to gather intelligence on the methods used by attackers, understand vulnerabilities, and improve their defenses against real attacks. By creating an environment that appears vulnerable, honeypots can deceive malicious actors into engaging with the system, enabling cybersecurity experts to analyze the attacks in a controlled setting without risking actual sensitive data or systems.

This concept is fundamental in cybersecurity for both defensive strategy development and research into threats, making it a critical component of comprehensive security measures. Other terms listed, such as encryption methods and secure databases, have different purposes and do not align with the honeypot's role in threat monitoring and analysis.