The FBI plans to help companies catch hackers by deceiving data.

The FBI believes that companies have a way to limit the damage caused by data breaches: entice thieves to steal the wrong data. Ars Technica learned about the FBI's program IDLE(Illegal Data Loss Exploitation), which enables companies to plant "fraudulent data" to confuse intruders trying to steal valuable information. Think of it as a honeypot for potential fraudsters and corporations.

Although the FBI did not disclose details of how IDLE works, an official told Ars they would blend the data in existing data structures to make it look real. Hackers can't just take data in bulk and expect all of it to be useful. Just download bait to warn it personnel of impending danger. The FBI uses real information to help create false data, but an official said the FBI does not retain the information and can only obtain it with consent.

There is no guarantee that this will be effective. Intelligent intruders can analyze data and can only be as effective as a company's underlying security systems. If the defense is below par, the decoy data is useless. However, for the FBI, this is not only to provide sealing protection, but also to actively help companies "prepare for defensive measures" rather than just to deal with violations. In this respect, it could be a useful part of a larger security dilemma.