From Reactive to Proactive: Tackling Stealthy Cyber Attacks with Deception

Attackers are becoming more sophisticated, leveraging stealthy techniques to evade detection. From “living off the land” tactics to credential abuse and lateral movement, these advanced threats blend seamlessly into legitimate activity, making them difficult to identify with traditional tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) or identity threat detection and response (ITDR).

For defenders, this creates a significant challenge: How do you detect an attacker who looks like a legitimate user? The answer lies in cyber deception, a powerful strategy that flips the script on attackers by creating high-fidelity detection opportunities they can’t resist.

What is cyber deception?

Cyber deception introduces false assets into an environment, such as fake credentials, decoy systems and honey tokens that appear legitimate but are designed to lure attackers into revealing themselves. Unlike traditional defenses that rely on spotting “bad” behavior, deception waits for unauthorized intent to surface.

When an attacker interacts with a deceptive asset, it triggers an alert, providing defenders with early and accurate indicators of compromise. But deception doesn’t stop at detection — it actively disrupts attackers by feeding them false information, wasting their time and corrupting their situational awareness.

Why traditional tools struggle

Modern attackers rarely rely on malware or overtly malicious activity. Instead, they exploit legitimate tools already present in the environment, such as PowerShell, WMI and stolen credentials. These techniques don’t trip traditional alarms, leaving defenders blind to lateral movement and credential misuse.

While EDR and ITDR provide valuable telemetry, they often struggle to detect these subtle, stealthy attacks. This is where deception shines — by creating assets that legitimate users never touch, deception surfaces attacker activity that would otherwise go unnoticed.

The benefits of cyber deception

Integrating deception into a cybersecurity strategy offers several key advantages:

• Early Detection: Deceptive assets provide high-fidelity alerts, allowing defenders to spot threats early in the kill chain.
• Reduced Dwell Time: By surfacing intrusions faster, deception minimizes the time attackers spend in an environment.
• Operational Efficiency: Deception reduces alert fatigue by generating actionable alerts, improving security operations center efficiency and analyst focus.
• Attacker Disruption: Feeding attackers false data increases their workload, erodes their confidence and forces them to question the reliability of their reconnaissance.

A proactive defense strategy

When combined with EDR and ITDR, deception transforms a  defense posture from reactive to proactive. Instead of just watching for suspicious activity, you’re baiting, luring and trapping attackers — closing visibility gaps and strengthening resilience against advanced persistent threats.

Why Leidos?

At Leidos, we understand the complexities of modern cybersecurity and the need for innovative solutions that empower defenders. Our approach to cyber deception integrates seamlessly with zero trust architectures and defense-in-depth strategies, delivering measurable results that align with your mission.

With decades of experience and cutting-edge technology, Leidos is uniquely positioned to help organizations outsmart adversaries and build resilience. Whether it’s deploying high-fidelity deception assets, enhancing Security Operations Center (SOC) efficiency or reducing attacker dwell time, our solutions are designed to meet the unique challenges of today’s threat landscape.

Turn the tables – learn why deception belongs in your strategy

Deception is no longer experimental — it’s a strategic asset. For organizations aiming to stay ahead of advanced threats, it’s a powerful way to detect, deter and outmaneuver attackers.

Ready to learn more?

Read Outsmarting the Silent Threat: Resilience Through Deception, a white paper authored by Kevin Hiltpold, one of our cyber security and architecture engineering leads, to discover how deception enhances EDR and ITDR against advanced threats.