Research On IoT Deception Lab: Honeypot – Driven Penetration Testing for Smart Home

The increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in smart home environments has introduced critical security vulnerabilities due to their limited computational resources and lack of robust protection mechanisms. This paper proposes an IoT Deception Lab that leverages honeypot-driven penetration testing to enhance the security posture of smart home systems through proactive threat engagement. The experimental setup integrates both hardware and software components, including Raspberry Pi (Model 3/4) as lightweight honeypot nodes, optional ESP32 boards for simulating resource-constrained IoT devices, a managed network switch (Cisco/TP-Link) for traffic segmentation, and a virtualized environment comprising an Ubuntu Server VM for centralized monitoring and logging.

The system is deployed using an Ubuntu-based host machine, while a dedicated Kali Linux machine is utilized to simulate real-world cyberattacks such as brute-force intrusions, port scanning, and malware injection. Interconnected through LAN infrastructure and powered by stable 5V/3A adapters, the lab environment creates a realistic yet controlled smart home network. The honeypots are strategically configured to emulate common IoT services, thereby attracting attackers and capturing their interaction patterns without exposing actual devices.

This approach enables continuous observation of attacker behavior, collection of threat intelligence, and identification of system vulnerabilities in real time. Experimental outcomes demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in detecting and analysing various attack vectors, including unauthorized access attempts and botnet activities. The study highlights how integrating affordable hardware with deception techniques provides a scalable, low-cost, and efficient cybersecurity framework for securing modern smart home ecosystems.