| dc.description.abstract | The Kenya government is rolling the Vision 2030 programme where ICT plays a major role in achieving the components of the Pillars associated with it. It has encouraged the rapid deployment of the high speed fiber optic cables across the country to make it easier for its citizens to do business amongst themselves, with the government and various industry players. The deployment of high speed internet connections has brought with it complex cybercrimes, creating a demand for improved cyber security. Against this background, KENET, a government supported entity comprising higher learning institutions and research organisations, has been encouraging its members to setup Computer Incidence Response Teams; and the deployment of HoneyPots, as an early warning system with intrusion detection capabilities, within their constituencies. The purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which deployment of HoneyPots had been embraced within KENET member institutions in Western Kenya, in order to help generate cyber security incidences reports that could help these institutions implement solutions that work in defending critical ICT infrastructures that they manage. Specific objectives were; to examine the types of cyber security related incidences; determine factors affecting the deployment of HoneyPots by CIRTs; and to analyse the usability of HoneyPots in the member institutions in western Kenya. The study was guided by a descriptive study design with a study population of 117 ICT staff members working in these member institutions. Using purposive sampling technique, a sample size of 80 respondents were picked and administered with questionnaires. 70 questionnaires were returned for data entry and analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. The major findings of the study were; most of the KENET member institutions in western Kenyan, despite experiencing cyber security related incidences, had not setup CIR T teams nor deployed Honeypots to help them generate cyber security incidences reports to be in a position of taking appropriate actions to defend their constituencies. In conclusion, major cyber related incidences were Malware; Social media related incidences and Spamming. However, major constraints affecting deployment of HoneyPots were a lack of staff with technical knowhow of setting up HoneyPots, a lack of awareness on Honey Pots; lack of technical knowledge for interpreting Honey Pot traffic reports; and Honeypots being considered a security risk if hacked and converted into Botnets | en_US |