Fixed vs. Variable-length patterns for detecting suspicious process behavior

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of creating patterns that can be used to model the normal behavior of a given process. These models can be used for intrusion detection purposes. In a previous work, we presented a novel method to generate input data sets that enable us to observe the normal behavior of a process in a secure environment. Using this method, we propose various techniques to generate either fixed-length or variable-length patterns. We show the advantages and drawbacks of each technique, based on the results of the experiments we have run on our testbed.