Which of the following best describes a honeypot?

A honeypot is best described as a decoy system designed to study attacker behavior. This security mechanism is intentionally set up to attract potential cyber threats by simulating a vulnerable system or network that appears genuine. By monitoring interactions with the honeypot, security professionals can gain insights into attack methods, motivations, and techniques used by malicious actors. This information is valuable for strengthening overall cybersecurity measures and developing more effective defenses against real attacks.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the purpose of a honeypot. For instance, the first choice refers to a device related to network performance, which is not connected to the concept of attracting and studying attacks. Encryption is a means of securing data, while load balancing involves distributing network traffic to optimize resource use, both of which differ significantly from the functionality of a honeypot.