MLDAS: Machine Learning Dynamic Algorithm Selection for Software-Defined Networking Security

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is another technology that has been developing in the last few years as a relevant technique to improve network programmability and administration. Nonetheless, its centralized design presents a major security issue, which requires effective intrusion detection systems. The SDN-specific machine learning-based intrusion detection system described in this paper is innovative because it is trained and tested on the InSDN dataset which models attack scenarios and realistic traffic patterns in SDN. Our approach incorporates a comprehensive preprocessing pipeline, feature selection via Mutual Information, and a novel ensemble learning model, SDNGuardStack, which combines multiple base learners to enhance detection accuracy and efficiency. In addition, we include explainable AI methods, including SHAP to add transparency to model predictions, which helps security analysts respond to incidents. The experiments prove that SDNGuard-Stack has an accuracy rate of 99.98% and a Cohen Kappa of 0.9998, surpassing other models, and at the same time being interpretable and practically executable. It is interesting to see such features like Flow ID, Bwd Header Len, and Src Port as the most important factors in the model predictions. The work is a step towards closing the gap between performance intrusion detection and realistic deployment in SDN, which will lead to the creation of secure and resilient network infrastructures.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and expanding into various sectors, such as healthcare, transportation, smart homes, and more. Despite the benefits of using IoT devices, they present several challenges. Given the significant role these devices play in our lives, it is crucial to address issues related to their security and privacy. These devices are limited in resources, which complicates their security and the protection of the data that they manage. The paper aims to examine intrusion detection systems using the Gotham2025 dataset, generated through the Gotham testbed, which consists of 78 emulated IoT devices utilising various protocols, including MQTT, CoAP, and RTSP, to assist in safeguarding IoT networks from attacks. We conduct a comparative analysis between five machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest, XGBoost, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, and Deep Neural Network. We demonstrate that the Random Forest Classifier was the top-performing model, achieving an F1-score of 0.99 in classifying attacks.

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and automated systems for detecting and reporting cyber threats, are commonly handled via supervised machine learning methods. Though effective, these models struggle to effectively adapt to new attack types. This study proposes a novel approach by employing a reward-based, dueling Q-learning model for IDS, achieving an average accuracy of 99.68% across multiple attack classes. The proposed model has a dueling network architecture which separates its predictions into value and advantage streams. This has the benefit of improving learning efficiency and stability. The model was trained on the CIC-IDS2018, a benchmark dataset based on real-world intrusion detection scenarios, having multiple attack classes such as DDoS, botnets, and brute-force attacks. Furthermore, Explainable AI (XAI), specifically SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), was also integrated into the training and evaluation process to provide interpretability into the model's predictions.