Network attack detection using an unsupervised machine learning algorithm

Abstract

With the increase in network connectivity in today's web-enabled environments, there is an escalation in cyber-related crimes. This increase in illicit activity prompts organizations to address network security risk issues by attempting to detect malicious activity. This research investigates the application of a MeanShift algorithm to detect an attack on a network. The algorithm is validated against the KDD 99 dataset and presents an accuracy of 81.2% and detection rate of 79.1%. The contribution of this research is two-fold. First, it provides an initial application of a MeanShift algorithm on a network traffic dataset to detect an attack. Second, it provides the foundation for future research involving the application of MeanShift algorithm in the area of network attack detection.