IBB Traffic Graph Data: Benchmarking and Road Traffic Prediction Model

Road traffic congestion prediction is a crucial component of intelligent transportation systems, since it enables proactive traffic management, enhances suburban experience, reduces environmental impact, and improves overall safety and efficiency. Although there are several public datasets, especially for metropolitan areas, these datasets may not be applicable to practical scenarios due to insufficiency in the scale of data (i.e. number of sensors and road links) and several external factors like different characteristics of the target area such as urban, highways and the data collection location. To address this, this paper introduces a novel IBB Traffic graph dataset as an alternative benchmark dataset to mitigate these limitations and enrich the literature with new geographical characteristics. IBB Traffic graph dataset covers the sensor data collected at 2451 distinct locations. Moreover, we propose a novel Road Traffic Prediction Model that strengthens temporal links through feature engineering, node embedding with GLEE to represent inter-related relationships within the traffic network, and traffic prediction with ExtraTrees. The results indicate that the proposed model consistently outperforms the baseline models, demonstrating an average accuracy improvement of 4%.

Data Augmentation in Graph Neural Networks: The Role of Generated Synthetic Graphs

Graphs are crucial for representing interrelated data and aiding predictive modeling by capturing complex relationships. Achieving high-quality graph representation is important for identifying linked patterns, leading to improvements in Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to better capture data structures. However, challenges such as data scarcity, high collection costs, and ethical concerns limit progress. As a result, generative models and data augmentation have become more and more popular. This study explores using generated graphs for data augmentation, comparing the performance of combining generated graphs with real graphs, and examining the effect of different quantities of generated graphs on graph classification tasks. The experiments show that balancing scalability and quality requires different generators based on graph size. Our results introduce a new approach to graph data augmentation, ensuring consistent labels and enhancing classification performance.

X-CBA: Explainability Aided CatBoosted Anomal-E for Intrusion Detection System

The effectiveness of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) is critical in an era where cyber threats are becoming increasingly complex. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models provide an efficient and accurate solution for identifying attacks and anomalies in computer networks. However, using ML and DL models in IDS has led to a trust deficit due to their non-transparent decision-making. This transparency gap in IDS research is significant, affecting confidence and accountability. To address, this paper introduces a novel Explainable IDS approach, called X-CBA, that leverages the structural advantages of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to effectively process network traffic data, while also adapting a new Explainable AI (XAI) methodology. Unlike most GNN-based IDS that depend on labeled network traffic and node features, thereby overlooking critical packet-level information, our approach leverages a broader range of traffic data through network flows, including edge attributes, to improve detection capabilities and adapt to novel threats. Through empirical testing, we establish that our approach not only achieves high accuracy with 99.47% in threat detection but also advances the field by providing clear, actionable explanations of its analytical outcomes. This research also aims to bridge the current gap and facilitate the broader integration of ML/DL technologies in cybersecurity defenses by offering a local and global explainability solution that is both precise and interpretable.

A YANG-aided Unified Strategy for Black Hole Detection for Backbone Networks

Despite the crucial importance of addressing Black Hole failures in Internet backbone networks, effective detection strategies in backbone networks are lacking. This is largely because previous research has been centered on Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs), which operate under entirely different dynamics, protocols, and topologies, making their findings not directly transferable to backbone networks. Furthermore, detecting Black Hole failures in backbone networks is particularly challenging. It requires a comprehensive range of network data due to the wide variety of conditions that need to be considered, making data collection and analysis far from straightforward. Addressing this gap, our study introduces a novel approach for Black Hole detection in backbone networks using specialized Yet Another Next Generation (YANG) data models with Black Hole-sensitive Metric Matrix (BHMM) analysis. This paper details our method of selecting and analyzing four YANG models relevant to Black Hole detection in ISP networks, focusing on routing protocols and ISP-specific configurations. Our BHMM approach derived from these models demonstrates a 10% improvement in detection accuracy and a 13% increase in packet delivery rate, highlighting the efficiency of our approach. Additionally, we evaluate the Machine Learning approach leveraged with BHMM analysis in two different network settings, a commercial ISP network, and a scientific research-only network topology. This evaluation also demonstrates the practical applicability of our method, yielding significantly improved prediction outcomes in both environments.