Adversarial learning for Mirai botnet detection based on long short-term memory and XGBoost

Abstract

In today's world, where digital threats are on the rise, one particularly concerning threat is the Mirai botnet. This malware is designed to infect and command a collection of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The use of Mirai attacks has intensified in recent times, thus threatening the smooth operation of numerous devices that are connected to a network. Such attacks carry adverse consequences that include interference with services or the leakage of confidential information. To fight this growing threat, smart and flexible detection techniques are required to counter the new methods cyber attackers use. The aim of this research is to develop a resilient defense against Mirai botnet attacks. The Long Short Term Memory term (LSTM) and XGBoost combined have the best performance of 97.7% accuracy score. With this combination, the aim is to strengthen our cyber defenses against sophisticated and dynamically operating Mirai botnets to further enhance the security of our digital world.