A gorgeous visualization of a scary problem.
By Colin Lecher Posted 10.01.2012 at 11:00 am 6 Comments

Honeynet Cyberattack Map Honeynet

This beautiful, hard-to-look-away-from graphic from the Honeynet Project shows cyberattacks as they happen, and where they happen. The red dots represent attacks; the yellow dots are "honeypots," or sensors, which monitor and publish the flow of cyberattacks. You can watch it all flow across the bottom, too. Almost every second, a new attack is reported and pushed through.

So what this shows are cyberattacks. Some cyberattacks. Not anywhere close to all of them. Only some of the sensors are reporting the attacks on vulnerable systems to the internal feed system, where that scrolling list is coming from. The graphic is automatically charting those attacks based on the IP addresses that are published.

That means we're getting a skewed world view of global attacks. Watch Europe: it's charting way, way more attacks than anything else, but that doesn't mean it's really getting targeted that much more; more attacks are just being published there. On the Honeymap FAQ popup, they note that they have a particular active group of sensors in Aachen, Germany. Aachen is getting a lot of hits, but there's not a cyberattack epidemic; there's just a lot more sensors.

In that sense, this is more art project than diagnostic manual. Also on the FAQ, they explain how it's a project done "just for fun." But it's enough to make you consider: if Aachen is the place they're monitoring the attacks best, how fast would a true world cyberattack map fill up? Probably quick.

Click here to see it in real time.

[Honeynet Project via The Atlantic Wire]

6 Comments

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haywall
10/01/12 at 12:58 pm

How does this work? Is this just based on Denial of service attacks?

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Robot
10/01/12 at 6:48 pm

I watch the map for about 10 minutes. It seems Brazil is getting its butt kick most at this time, by this representation. I know from experience of looking at Brazil websites, my computer got nailed all the time by viruses.

My personal opinion of Brazil, they are getting beat up the most, because I guess the general public computers are using stolen operating systems with our Microsoft updates and they most do not use virus protection too.

Word to the wise, just because you OS is free or the program is free, does not mean you won't eventually pay a price.

…………………………………………………………………………..

Eu vejo o mapa por cerca de 10 minutos. Parece o Brasil está recebendo sua bunda mais chutar, neste momento, por esta representação. Eu sei da experiência de olhar sites do Brasil, meu computador ficou pregado o tempo todo por vírus.

Minha opinião pessoal do Brasil, eles estão apanhando mais, porque eu acho que os computadores público em geral estão usando sistemas operacionais roubados com nossas atualizações da Microsoft e que mais não usar proteção contra vírus também.

Palavra para o sábio, só porque você é livre OS ou o programa é livre, não significa que você não acabará por pagar um preço.

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Robot
10/01/12 at 6:51 pm

My personal opinion of Brazil, they are getting beat up the most, because I guess the general public computers are using stolen operating systems without Microsoft updates and they most do not use virus protection too.
..................
Minha opinião pessoal do Brasil, eles estão apanhando mais, porque eu acho que os computadores público em geral estão usando sistemas operacionais roubados sem atualizações da Microsoft e que mais não usar proteção contra vírus também.

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firehorn
10/01/12 at 8:32 pm

Wow! Africa is clearly leading the way in next-generation cyber security! Hardly a single attack while other world 'leaders' are getting relentlessly beaten on!

;P

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TeslasDisciple
10/02/12 at 9:52 am

Why do we not have major sensors EVERYWHERE? In that sense, why is this a new thing?

ANd yes, haveing no computers is a sure way to avoid computer viruses. Well said firehorn

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain

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caveman127
10/21/12 at 9:47 am

The red dots are not attacks in the sense someone being attacked. The red dots are attacks as attackers. All the red dots are the places someone has attacked their sensors. So I guess this makes Russia the cyber-criminal. Africa is completely innocent on the other hand. At least according to my map.


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