A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques

The exponential growth of data and increased reliance on interconnected systems have heightened the need for robust network security. Cyber-Attack Detection Systems (CADS) are essential for identifying and mitigating threats through network traffic analysis. However, the effectiveness of CADS is hig...

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Main Authors: Wahida Ferdose Urmi, Mohammed Nasir Uddin, Md Ashraf Uddin, Md. Alamin Talukder, Md. Rahat Hasan, Souvik Paul, Moumita Chanda, John Ayoade, Ansam Khraisat, Rakib Hossen, Faisal Imran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2024-01-01
Series:International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666307424000263
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author Wahida Ferdose Urmi
Mohammed Nasir Uddin
Md Ashraf Uddin
Md. Alamin Talukder
Md. Rahat Hasan
Souvik Paul
Moumita Chanda
John Ayoade
Ansam Khraisat
Rakib Hossen
Faisal Imran
author_facet Wahida Ferdose Urmi
Mohammed Nasir Uddin
Md Ashraf Uddin
Md. Alamin Talukder
Md. Rahat Hasan
Souvik Paul
Moumita Chanda
John Ayoade
Ansam Khraisat
Rakib Hossen
Faisal Imran
author_sort Wahida Ferdose Urmi
collection DOAJ
description The exponential growth of data and increased reliance on interconnected systems have heightened the need for robust network security. Cyber-Attack Detection Systems (CADS) are essential for identifying and mitigating threats through network traffic analysis. However, the effectiveness of CADS is highly dependent on selecting pertinent features. This research evaluates the impact of three feature selection techniques—Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Mutual Information (MI), and Lasso Feature Selection (LFS)—on CADS performance. We propose a novel stacked ensemble classification approach, combining Random Forest, XGBoost, and Extra-Trees classifiers with a Logistic Regression meta-model. Performance is assessed using CICIDS2017 and NSL-KDD datasets. Results show that RFE achieves 100% accuracy for Brute Force attacks, 99.99% for Infiltration and Web Attacks on CICIDS2017, and 99.95% accuracy for all attacks on NSL-KDD, marking a significant improvement over traditional methods. This study demonstrates that optimizing feature selection and leveraging diverse classifiers can substantially enhance the accuracy of CADS, providing stronger protection against evolving cyber threats.
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spelling doaj-art-dcde3e5bbd6b4b9cb2a40a55824dbdfd2025-08-20T02:12:54ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering2666-30742024-01-01531633110.1016/j.ijcce.2024.07.005A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniquesWahida Ferdose Urmi0Mohammed Nasir Uddin1Md Ashraf Uddin2Md. Alamin Talukder3Md. Rahat Hasan4Souvik Paul5Moumita Chanda6John Ayoade7Ansam Khraisat8Rakib Hossen9Faisal Imran10Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jagannath University, Dhaka, BangladeshDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, Jagannath University, Dhaka, BangladeshSchool of Information Technology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Australia; School of Information Technology, Crown Institute of Higher Education, 116 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, NSW, 2060, Australia; Corresponding author at: School of Information Technology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Australia.Department of Computer Science and Engineering, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Corresponding author.Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jagannath University, Dhaka, BangladeshDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Ottawa, CanadaDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, BangladeshSchool of Information Technology, Crown Institute of Higher Education, 116 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, NSW, 2060, AustraliaSchool of Information Technology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, AustraliaDepartment of Cyber Security, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University, Kaliakoir, Gazipur, 1750, BangladeshDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, BangladeshThe exponential growth of data and increased reliance on interconnected systems have heightened the need for robust network security. Cyber-Attack Detection Systems (CADS) are essential for identifying and mitigating threats through network traffic analysis. However, the effectiveness of CADS is highly dependent on selecting pertinent features. This research evaluates the impact of three feature selection techniques—Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Mutual Information (MI), and Lasso Feature Selection (LFS)—on CADS performance. We propose a novel stacked ensemble classification approach, combining Random Forest, XGBoost, and Extra-Trees classifiers with a Logistic Regression meta-model. Performance is assessed using CICIDS2017 and NSL-KDD datasets. Results show that RFE achieves 100% accuracy for Brute Force attacks, 99.99% for Infiltration and Web Attacks on CICIDS2017, and 99.95% accuracy for all attacks on NSL-KDD, marking a significant improvement over traditional methods. This study demonstrates that optimizing feature selection and leveraging diverse classifiers can substantially enhance the accuracy of CADS, providing stronger protection against evolving cyber threats.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666307424000263Network-based intrusion detection systemHost-based intrusion detection systemWeb attacksStack ensemble modelBinary classificationMulticlass classification
spellingShingle Wahida Ferdose Urmi
Mohammed Nasir Uddin
Md Ashraf Uddin
Md. Alamin Talukder
Md. Rahat Hasan
Souvik Paul
Moumita Chanda
John Ayoade
Ansam Khraisat
Rakib Hossen
Faisal Imran
A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering
Network-based intrusion detection system
Host-based intrusion detection system
Web attacks
Stack ensemble model
Binary classification
Multiclass classification
title A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
title_full A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
title_fullStr A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
title_full_unstemmed A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
title_short A stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
title_sort stacked ensemble approach to detect cyber attacks based on feature selection techniques
topic Network-based intrusion detection system
Host-based intrusion detection system
Web attacks
Stack ensemble model
Binary classification
Multiclass classification
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666307424000263
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