Stepping-stone intrusion is a hacking strategy in which an attacker sends attacking commands through compromised hosts, called stepping-stones, in order to remotely access a target host. These stepping-stones form part of a connection chain that serves as an intermediary between the target and attacker hosts, providing the attacker with increased anonymity and detection avoidance capabilities. It is well-known that a long connection chain with three or more connections often indicates malicious activities.

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm promises to make “things” include a more generic set of entities such as smart devices, sensors, human beings, and any other IoT objects to be accessible at any time and anywhere. IoT allows for the interconnectivity of devices or objects to collect, send, and receive information. IoT varies widely in its applications, but one of its most beneficial uses is in the medical field. Healthcare utilizes IoT and its emerging technologies to provide more efficient and quality care for patients while reducing the workload and burden on healthcare facilities.

This presentation shares a best practice in teaching network defense based on recent research on network security. Computer networks as part of critical infrastructure facilities and assets for most organizations are facing increasing challenges in defending against various and sophisticated cyber threats, intrusions, and attacks. Knowledge discovery is a key factor in cyber defense, and honeypots could be an effective tool for gaining knowledge for cyber defense.