Simple Technique to Spot Data Leaks

Most people think honeypots are complicated servers only big companies use. But you can set up a simple honeypot right inside your iCloud or Gmail account. This quick trick lets you know if someone has been snooping in your data.

Step 1: Create a Secret Email Address

For Gmail Users

1. Open Gmail in your browser.

2. Your existing address is something like yourname@gmail.com.

3. Add a +tag to create a honeypot alias. Example:

Anything sent here will still land in your normal inbox.

For iCloud Users

1. On your Mac, open Mail.

2. Go to Mail → Settings → Accounts.

3. Choose your iCloud account, then click Aliases.

4. Add a new alias (example: honeypot@icloud.com).

Step 2: Hide the Honeypot in Plain Sight

1. Open Apple Notes on your Mac.

2. Create a note called Passwords or Internal.

3. Inside it, type your honeypot email (e.g., yourname+honeypot@gmail.com).

4. Or, add it as a contact in Contacts labeled “Secret Internal Address.”

Step 3: Set Up Alerts

Gmail

1. Go to Settings (gear icon) → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses.

2. Create a new filter:

   
   

   • “To:” field → your honeypot address.

   
   

3. Set the filter action to Star it and Forward to your main email.

iCloud

1. Go to iCloud Mail in the browser.

2. Click the gear icon → Rules.

3. Add a rule:

   
   

   • If “To” contains your honeypot alias, then Forward to your main email and mark as important.

   
   

Step 4: Wait & Watch

• If an email ever hits that honeypot address, it means someone got into your Notes, Contacts, or iCloud Drive and tried to use it.

• Since you never gave this address out, it’s a strong signal of compromise.

Pro Tip

Rotate honeypot addresses every 3–6 months. Delete the old one and create a new one to reduce noise.

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