Hybrid CNN–BiLSTM–DNN Approach for Detecting Cybersecurity Threats in IoT Networks

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem is rapidly expanding. It is driven by continuous innovation but accompanied by increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Protecting IoT devices from these emerging vulnerabilities has become a critical priority. This study addresses the limitations of existing IoT threat detection methods, which often struggle with the dynamic nature of IoT environments and the growing complexity of cyberattacks. To overcome these challenges, a novel hybrid architecture combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), and Deep Neural Networks (DNN) is proposed for accurate and efficient IoT threat detection. The model’s performance is evaluated using the IoT-23 and Edge-IIoTset datasets, which encompass over ten distinct attack types. The proposed framework achieves a remarkable 99% accuracy on both datasets, outperforming existing state-of-the-art IoT cybersecurity solutions. Advanced optimization techniques, including model pruning and quantization, are applied to enhance deployment efficiency in resource-constrained IoT environments. The results highlight the model’s robustness and its adaptability to diverse IoT scenarios, which address key limitations of prior approaches. This research provides a robust and efficient solution for IoT threat detection, establishing a foundation for advancing IoT security and addressing the evolving landscape of cyber threats while driving future innovations in the field.