Research Article

Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models

Volume: 7 Number: 2 August 31, 2024
EN

Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models

Abstract

The continuous evolution of malware poses a significant challenge in cybersecurity, adapting to technological advancements despite implemented security measures. This paper introduces an innovative approach to enhance the detection of obfuscated malware through the integration of machine learning (ML). Utilizing a real-world dataset of prevalent malware types such as spyware, ransomware, and trojan horses, our study addresses the evolving challenges of cybersecurity. In this study, we evaluate the performance of ML algorithms for obfuscated malware detection using the CIC-MalMem-2022 dataset. Our analysis encompasses binary and multi-class classification tasks under various experimental conditions, including percentage splits and 10-fold cross-validation. The evaluated algorithms include Random Tree (RT), Random Forest (RF), J-48 (C4.5), Naive Bayes (NB), and XGBoost. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of RF, J-48, and XGBoost in achieving high accuracy rates across different classification tasks. NB also shows competitive performance but faces challenges in handling imbalanced datasets and multi-class classification. Our findings highlight the importance of employing advanced ML techniques for enhancing obfuscated malware detection capabilities and provide valuable insights for cybersecurity practitioners and researchers. Future research directions include fine-tuning model hyperparameters, exploring ensemble learning approaches, and expanding evaluation to diverse datasets and real-world scenarios.

Keywords

References

  1. [1] T. Carrier, P. Victor, A. Tekeoglu, and A. Habibi Lashkari, “Detecting Obfuscated Malware using Memory Feature Engineering,” in International Conference on Information Systems Security and Privacy, 2022. doi: 10.5220/0010908200003120.
  2. [2] Z. A. El Houda, “Cyber Threat Actors Review: Examining the Tactics and Motivations of Adversaries in the Cyber Landscape,” in Cyber Security for Next-Generation Computing Technologies, 2024. doi: 10.1201/9781003404361-5.
  3. [3] Y. Li, Z. Liu, X. Guan, Z. Wang, X. Guo, and S. Wang, “Hierarchical Obfuscation Malware Detection Method Based on Deep Learning,” in EEI 2022 - 4th International Conference on Electronic Engineering and Informatics, 2022.
  4. [4] M. R. Ghazi and N. S. Raghava, “Machine Learning Based Obfuscated Malware Detection in the Cloud Environment with Nature-Inspired Feature Selection,” in 2022 5th International Conference on Multimedia, Signal Processing and Communication Technologies, IMPACT 2022, 2022. doi: 10.1109/IMPACT55510.2022.10029271.
  5. [5] M. A. Hossain and M. S. Islam, “Enhanced detection of obfuscated malware in memory dumps: a machine learning approach for advanced cybersecurity,” Cybersecurity, vol. 7, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.1186/s42400-024-00205-z.
  6. [6] B. Janet, A. Nikam, and J. A. Kumar R, “Real Time Malicious URL Detection on twitch using Machine Learning,” in Proceedings of the International Conference on Electronics and Renewable Systems, ICEARS 2022, 2022. doi: 10.1109/ICEARS53579.2022.9751862.
  7. [7] M. Hakimi, E. Ahmady, A. K. Shahidzay, A. W. Fazil, M. M. Quchi, and R. Akbari, “Securing Cyberspace: Exploring the Efficacy of SVM (Poly, Sigmoid) and ANN in Malware Analysis,” Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, vol. 3, no. 12, 2023, doi: 10.47760/cognizance.2023.v03i12.017.
  8. [8] S. Altaha and K. Riad, “Machine Learning in Malware Analysis: Current Trends and Future Directions,” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, vol. 15, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.14569/IJACSA.2024.01501124.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Computer Software , Software Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

August 26, 2024

Publication Date

August 31, 2024

Submission Date

May 24, 2024

Acceptance Date

August 19, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2024 Volume: 7 Number: 2

APA
Öztürk, A., & Hızal, S. (2024). Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences, 7(2), 264-276. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis...1489237
AMA
1.Öztürk A, Hızal S. Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models. SAUCIS. 2024;7(2):264-276. doi:10.35377/saucis.1489237
Chicago
Öztürk, Ahmet, and Selman Hızal. 2024. “Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 7 (2): 264-76. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis. 1489237.
EndNote
Öztürk A, Hızal S (August 1, 2024) Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 7 2 264–276.
IEEE
[1]A. Öztürk and S. Hızal, “Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models”, SAUCIS, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 264–276, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.35377/saucis...1489237.
ISNAD
Öztürk, Ahmet - Hızal, Selman. “Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 7/2 (August 1, 2024): 264-276. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis. 1489237.
JAMA
1.Öztürk A, Hızal S. Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models. SAUCIS. 2024;7:264–276.
MLA
Öztürk, Ahmet, and Selman Hızal. “Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences, vol. 7, no. 2, Aug. 2024, pp. 264-76, doi:10.35377/saucis. 1489237.
Vancouver
1.Ahmet Öztürk, Selman Hızal. Detection and Analysis of Malicious Software Using Machine Learning Models. SAUCIS. 2024 Aug. 1;7(2):264-76. doi:10.35377/saucis. 1489237

 

INDEXING & ABSTRACTING & ARCHIVING

 

31045 31044   ResimLink - Resim Yükle  31047 

31043 28939 28938 34240
 

 

29070    The papers in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License