The primary purpose of creating a simulated production environment with multiple vulnerable applications is to attract attackers in order to study their behavior. This is a technique known as honeypotting, which is a form of deception security that lures attackers into a fake system or network that mimics the real one, but is isolated and monitored1. Honeypotting can help security teams to learn about the attackers' methods, tools, motives, and targets, and to collect valuable intelligence that can be used to improve the security posture of the organization1. Honeypotting can also help to divert the attackers' attention from the real assets and to waste their time and resources2.
The other options are not the primary purpose of creating a simulated production environment with multiple vulnerable applications. To collect digital evidence of cyberattacks, security teams would need to use forensic tools and techniques that can preserve and analyze the data from the compromised systems or networks3. To provide training to security managers, security teams would need to use simulation tools and scenarios that can test and enhance their skills and knowledge in responding to cyber incidents4. To test the intrusion detection system (IDS), security teams would need to use penetration testing tools and methods that can evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the IDS in detecting and preventing malicious activities5.
References:
What is a Honeypot? | Imperva
Honeypots: A sweet solution for identifying intruders | CSO Online
Digital Forensics - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Cybersecurity Training & Exercises - Homeland Security
What is Penetration Testing? | Types & Stages | Imperva