A honeypot should contain what type of data?

A honeypot is a security resource whose value lies in being probed, attacked, or compromised. The primary purpose of a honeypot is to detect, deflect, or study hacking attempts to gain valuable insights into how potential attackers operate and what vulnerabilities they may exploit.

Using useless data in a honeypot is important because it minimizes the risk of exposing real sensitive information or operational data. If the data contained in a honeypot were sensitive or production data, it could lead to severe security implications if the honeypot is successfully attacked.

Useless data ensures that even if attackers interact with the honeypot, they are not accessing anything valuable, and this can also help to divert their efforts away from genuine targets. Therefore, a honeypot is most effective when it contains data that serves no valuable purpose, allowing security teams to safely analyze attack patterns without risking real assets.