Zscaler Deception & ITDR: The Network Security Standoff

The Setup: What Is Zscaler Deception?

Imagine you're managing a healthcare security operations center (SOC). It's quiet (too quiet…), and suddenly you notice an attacker probing your network. Normally, you'd go into panic mode, racing to secure everything. But what if, instead of reacting, you could actively confuse the attacker before they even get close to something critical?

Zscaler Deception is designed to do exactly that. It sets up traps-decoy systems, fake credentials, and honeypots-across your network, all of which look real to an attacker. It's like having multiple identical-looking systems standing in a lineup. The attacker can't tell what's genuine and what's bait. So, they start poking around, chasing after fake systems while your SOC calmly observes, collects data, and prepares to shut them down.

As the attacker keeps guessing, they're essentially wandering in circles, pointing fingers at the decoy systems, wasting time while your team silently gathers valuable intelligence. Meanwhile, the actual network stays protected and untouched.