Can a Tarpit Clean Up the Internet?
Can a Tarpit Clean Up the Internet? A Closer Look at Worm Containment Strategies
Published on June 5, 2025 by the Delft Threat Intelligence Lab
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, Internet worms remain a persistent challenge. These self-replicating programs can spread rapidly across networks, exploiting vulnerabilities and causing widespread disruption. A recent study by researchers at the Threat Intelligence Lab of the TU Delft explores an intriguing question: Can we use “tarpits” to slow down or even halt the spread of these worms?
What Is a Tarpit?
A tarpit is a network defense mechanism designed to intentionally delay or trap malicious connections. By responding slowly or not at all to certain network requests, a tarpit can tie up the resources of an attacking system, effectively slowing down its ability to spread malware or perform other malicious activities.
The Study
The research, presented at the 2023 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshops, investigates the feasibility of tarpits as a defense against Internet worms. The team employed:
- Simulations of Worm Propagation: Modeling how different types of worms spread across networks.
- Tarpit Implementations: Deploying several tarpit strategies to assess their practical effectiveness.
- Performance Metrics: Measuring delay, resource consumption, and impact on worm containment.
Key Findings
- Effectiveness Depends on Context: Tarpit success varies significantly depending on the worm’s behavior and the network’s structure.
- Trade-offs in Performance: Tarpits can consume system resources and introduce delays, potentially affecting legitimate traffic.
- Supportive Role: Tarpits are most effective as part of a layered security approach, complementing other tools like firewalls and detection systems.
Why This Matters
This study revisits an underexplored method in cybersecurity and evaluates its practical viability in modern networks. While tarpits are not a silver bullet, they can be useful in specific scenarios, particularly when trying to slow down the early stages of a worm outbreak.
Read the Paper
You can access the full publication on IEEE Xplore:
This blog post summarizes research conducted by the Delft Threat Intelligence Lab. For a complete explanation of methods and results, refer to the original paper.