HoneyPot for Getting Logging Activities in Django

In the world of web applications, security is a top priority. One ingenious method for enhancing security is by using a technique known as a “HoneyPot” within Django. While you might envision a HoneyPot as a beehive, in web security, it’s quite different. A HoneyPot is a clever deception designed to catch unwanted or malicious bots and spammers in the act. In a Django application, a HoneyPot acts like an invisible trap that lures in these malicious actors while allowing legitimate users to pass through unnoticed.

What is HoneyPot in Django?

A HoneyPot in Django is like an invisible trap set to catch online troublemakers. Imagine it as a hidden field in a form that only bots can see and interact with, but regular users cannot. When a bot interacts with this hidden field, it signals suspicious behavior, and we can take action to protect our website from potential harm, such as logging the activity or blocking the bot. It’s like having a secret alarm system to keep our website safe from online miscreants.

Implementation of HoneyPot for Getting Logging Activities in Django

We will explore a security measure known as a honeypot, which helps us detect unauthorized login attempts in the admin panel. A honeypot essentially acts as a trap for potential attackers. If someone tries to access the admin panel without authorization, the honeypot logs their activity, including the time of the attempt and their IP address. This approach is especially valuable for large-scale applications where security is a top priority, as it adds an extra layer of protection to the admin panel and helps safeguard the database from potential threats.

Starting the Project

To install Django follow these steps.

To start the project use this command

django-admin startproject core
cd core

To start the app use this command

python manage.py startapp honey

Now add this app to the ‘settings.py’

File Structure

Installing the honeypot

pip install django-admin-honeypot-updated-2021

Add the appname and ‘admin_honeypot’ to the ‘settings.py’

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    "django.contrib.admin",
    "django.contrib.auth",
    "django.contrib.contenttypes",
    "django.contrib.sessions",
    "django.contrib.messages",
    "django.contrib.staticfiles",
    "honey", #Appname
    "admin_honeypot", #hoenypot 
    
]

view.py: This Django code defines a basic view called home that returns an HTTP response with the message “Hello world” when accessed. It’s a simple example of how Django views handle incoming requests and generate responses.

Python3

from django.http import HttpResponse

# Create your views here.
def home(request):
    return HttpResponse("Hello world")

project/urls.py:Here we are defining the URLs and including the app urls.

Python3

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include

urlpatterns = [
  # URL pattern for admin honeypot
    path('admin/', include('admin_honeypot.urls')),
  # URL pattern for the 'honey' app
    path('', include('home.urls')),
  # URL pattern for the actual admin interface
    path("secret/", admin.site.urls),
]

app/urls.py :Here we are defining the apps urls.

Python3

from .views import *
from django.urls import path

urlpatterns = [
    path('' , home),

]

Deployement of the Project

Run these commands to apply the migrations:

python3 manage.py makemigrations
python3 manage.py migrate

Run the server with the help of following command:

python3 manage.py runserver

Output:

Conclusion :

In conclusion, the use of a honeypot as a security measure in an admin panel is a crucial step towards enhancing the overall security of an application, especially in large-scale systems where data protection is a top priority. By acting as a deceptive trap for unauthorized login attempts, the honeypot not only detects these activities but also records valuable information such as timestamps and IP addresses. This added layer of security helps safeguard the database from potential threats, providing peace of mind for administrators and users alike. In today’s digital landscape, where security breaches are a constant concern, implementing such security measures is essential to protect sensitive data and maintain the integrity of an application’s admin panel.