Challenges in Information, Communication and Computing Technology – V. Sharmila et al.

(Eds)
© 2025 The Author(s), London, 978-1-032-90173-2
Open Access: www.taylorandfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license

Malware detection and prevention using machine learning

V. Mythily, P. Sukumar, V. Akshaya, S. Dinesh, Harivardhini & M. Nandhini

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Nandha Engineering College, Erode, Tamilnadu,
India

ABSTRACT: With the rising recurrence and refinement of digital dangers, there is a basic
requirement for vigorous and proactive online protection measures. This study investigates the
mix of AI methods for anticipating and identifying digital hacking breaks. Utilizing assorted
datasets incorporating network logs, client ways of behaving, and framework exercises, we uti-
lize administered learning calculations for break expectation and unaided strategies for incon-
sistency identification. Social examination and ongoing observing frameworks are integrated to
upgrade the accuracy and practicality of danger distinguishing proof. This abstract introduces
the application of the Gradient Boosting Algorithm (GBA) for malware detection. The growing
complexity and diversity of malware pose significant challenges to traditional detection methods.
In response, this study explores the effectiveness of GBA, a powerful machine learning techni-
que, in identifying and classifying malware samples. By leveraging ensemble learning and
iterative optimization, GBA enhances the detection accuracy by combining multiple weak
classifiers into a robust model. The research demonstrates the superior performance of GBA
compared to conventional approaches, showcasing its ability to effectively discern between
malicious and benign software with high precision and recall rates. Through experimentation
and evaluation on real-world datasets, this study elucidates the potential of GBA as a promising
tool for bolstering cybersecurity defenses against evolving malware threats.

Keywords: Malware Detection, Machine Learning, Gradient Boosting

1 INTRODUCTION
In an era marked by escalating cyber threats, the security landscape demands innovative
solutions to counteract increasingly sophisticated malware. This research delves into the
intersection of dynamic malware analysis, Software Defined Networks (SDNs), and machine
learning—a trinity that holds promise for fortifying network defenses. The programmable
and centralized architecture of SDNs serves as a strategic vantage point, offering heightened
control and visibility into network activities. This study explores the fusion of dynamic
malware analysis within SDN frameworks, leveraging the inherent flexibility to proactively
address evolving cyber threats. The integration of machine learning techniques augments the
capacity for automated detection and response, providing a dynamic defense mechanism
against malware infiltrations. Central to this investigation is the creation of isolated envir-
onments within SDNs, allowing for controlled scrutiny of malicious software behavior
without compromising the broader network integrity. Through intelligent flow control, SDN
controllers direct network traffic to designated security inspection points, ensuring meticu-
lous monitoring of potential threats. Machine learning algorithms, specializing in behavioral
analysis and anomaly detection, are deployed to scrutinize the nuanced activities of malware
during execution. By deciphering system calls, file modifications, and network communica-
tions, these algorithms contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the malware’s modus
operandi. The amalgamation of SDNs and machine learning equips the security

564 DOI: 10.1201/9781003559092-97

This chapter has been made available under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
infrastructure with the capability to detect previously unseen malware based on anomalous
patterns. This research also underscores the importance of integrating threat intelligence
feeds with SDN controllers, enabling real-time responses to emerging threats. SDN con-
trollers, acting as orchestrators, dynamically adjust network policies based on the insights
gleaned from the dynamic malware analysis. Automated responses, such as isolating affected
devices or blocking malicious traffic, contribute to swift and efficient mitigation strategies.
Moreover, the proposed framework emphasizes continuous learning, where machine learn-
ing models are regularly updated with new data to enhance accuracy and adaptability. This
iterative learning process ensures that the security infrastructure remains resilient in the face
of evolving malware threats. In summary, this research endeavors to present a cohesive
framework that capitalizes on the synergies between dynamic malware analysis, SDNs, and
machine learning. By harnessing the programmability of SDNs and the analytical prowess of
machine learning, this approach aspires to provide a responsive and adaptive security
paradigm, capable of real-time detection and mitigation of malware within the dynamic
landscape of modern networks. Dynamic malware analysis involves the study of the beha-
vior of malicious software in a controlled environment, typically an isolated system or a
sandbox, to understand its functionalities, evasion techniques, and potential impact.
Software Defined Networks (SDNs) offer a programmable and centralized approach to
network management, allowing for better control and visibility.

2 RELATED WORK

Malware has turned into a huge gamble in this day and age. There are various types of
malware or malevolent projects tracked down on the web. Research shows that malware has
developed dramatically over the course of the past 10 years, making significant monetary
misfortunes different associations. Malware is a pernicious program or programming that
demonstrates incredibly destructive to the client’s PC. The client’s framework can be
impacted in more than one way. The proposed arrangement utilizes different AI procedures
to distinguish whether a record downloaded from the web contains malware or not. This
cycle helps in recognizing that multitude of kinds of malware that can negatively affect the
client’s framework subsequent to getting tainted. The methodology utilized here will actually
want to distinguish malware like Adware, Trojan, Secondary passages, Obscure, Multidrop,
Rbot, Spam, and Ransomware. Vindictive programming is bountiful in a universe of
countless PC clients, who are continually confronted with these dangers from different
sources like the web, nearby organizations and compact drives. Malware is possibly low to
high gamble and can make framework capability erroneously, take information and even
cause an accident. Malware might be executable or framework library documents as infec-
tions, worms, Trojans, all pointed toward penetrating the security of the framework and
compromising client protection. Malware is one of the most widely recognized and extreme
digital assaults today. Malware contaminates a huge number of gadgets and can play out a
few pernicious exercises including mining delicate information, scrambling information,
devastating framework execution, and some more. Thus, malware identification is sig-
nificant to shield our PCs and cell phones from malware attacks.

3 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY

In proposing a high-level network safety framework that uses AI, the emphasis is on tending
to the limits of conventional strategies and upgrading the general danger recognition and
reaction capacities. Join numerous AI models, including managed and solo learning calcu-
lations, to make a crossover approach. This can assist with moderating the restrictions of
individual models and work on in general exactness. Execute methods to upgrade the

565
strength of AI models against antagonistic assaults. Consistently update models and utilize
antagonistic preparation techniques to make them stronger to control endeavors. Foster
robotized reaction systems for quickly tending to recognized dangers.Computerized activ-
ities, like disengaging compromised frameworks or changing security arrangements, can
diminish reaction time and break point the effect of safety episodes.

3.1 Block diagram

Figure 1. Block diagram.

Block diagram of the proposed system is shown in Figure 1.

3.2 Data collection

One normal way to deal with information assortment includes utilizing malware archives
and danger knowledge feeds to gain tests of known malware variations. These examples are
then broken down to remove elements, for example, record hashes, document credits,
Programming interface calls, and byte successions, which can be utilized to describe and
arrange malware conduct. Furthermore, scientists might include dynamic investigation
methods, for example, sandboxing and imitating, to notice the way of behaving of malware
tests in controlled conditions. This permits specialists to catch runtime exercises, gather
harmless programming tests to make a reasonable dataset for preparing and assessment
purposes. Notwithstanding static record examination, information assortment in malware
identification frequently including record alterations, library changes, network interchanges,
and cycle infusions, which can give important bits of knowledge into the capacities and
expectations of malware examples.

3.3 Data processing

Data processing in malware detection involves the systematic analysis and manipulation of
raw data to extract meaningful insights for identifying and combating malicious software
threats. This process encompasses various stages, including data cleaning to remove noise
and inconsistencies, feature extraction to capture relevant characteristics of malware sam-
ples, and feature engineering to enhance the discriminatory power of extracted features.
Additionally, data labeling assigns class labels to indicate whether a sample is malicious or
benign, enabling supervised learning algorithms to train and evaluate effectively. Data
processing also includes techniques such as data augmentation to increase dataset diversity
and splitting the data into training, validation, and test sets to assess model performance
accurately. By carefully processing and preparing the data, cyber-security professionals can
develop robust detection models capable of accurately identifying and mitigating malware
threats.

566
3.4 Feature extraction
Highlight extraction for malware recognition includes the method involved with distin-
guishing and removing applicable qualities or properties from malware tests to work with
the discovery and characterization of malevolent programming. These highlights give
important data about the way of behaving, design, and attributes of malware, empowering
AI calculations to separate among harmless and malignant records. Highlight extraction
procedures in malware recognition can differ contingent upon the kind of information being
dissected, including static record credits, dynamic standards of conduct, and organization
traffic. Normal highlights extricated from malware tests might incorporate record hashes,
document size, record type, presence of explicit Programming interface calls, strings, byte
successions, code construction, and metadata.

3.5 Model training and model loading in malware detection

In malware detection, model training refers to the process of training machine learning
algorithms using labeled datasets to develop detection models capable of distinguishing
between malicious and benign software. During model training, the algorithm learns the
underlying patterns and characteristics of malware samples from the input features extracted
during data processing. This involves feeding the training data into the algorithm, which
then adjusts its internal parameters through an iterative optimization process to minimize
the prediction error or loss function. Common machine learning algorithms used for mal-
ware detection include decision trees, random forests, support vector machines, and neural
networks. Once the training process is complete and the detection model has achieved
satisfactory performance on the training dataset, it can be evaluated on separate validation
and test datasets to assess its generalization ability and effectiveness in detecting unseen
malware samples.

3.6 Flowchart

Figure 2. Flowchart.

567
3.7 Prediction
Prediction in malware detection using the Gradient Boosting Algorithm (GBA) involves
leveraging the trained model to make predictions on whether a given file or sample is mal-
icious or benign. After the GBA model has been trained on labeled data and optimized to
minimize prediction errors, it can be applied to new, unseen samples for classification.
During the prediction process, the features extracted from the input sample are fed into the
trained GBA model, which then calculates the probability or confidence score that the
sample belongs to the malicious class. Based on this score, a decision threshold is applied to
classify the sample as either malicious or benign. GBA’s ability to handle complex datasets
and capture intricate patterns makes it particularly well-suited for malware detection tasks,
where distinguishing between malicious and benign software requires robust and accurate
classification models. By leveraging the predictive power of GBA, cyber-security profes-
sionals can enhance their capabilities to detect and mitigate malware threats in real-time,
thereby strengthening the security posture of computer systems and networks.

4 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

Table 1. Gradient boosting.

ALGORITHM ACCURACY PRECISION RECALL

GRADIENT BOOSTING 99 99 98.5

SVC 91 90 92
LSTM 94 94 95

From the above Table 1, the gradient boosting algorithm gives a lead ahead of the other two
comparative analyses. The algorithm such as accuracy precision and recall the proposed gra-
dient boosting algorithm gives a result of 99% accuracy. 99% precision and 98.5% recall.
Result and Discussion: Overall, the results of this study highlight the potential of the Gradient
Boosting Algorithm as a powerful tool in the fight against malware. By leveraging its pre-
dictive capabilities and robust performance, cyber-security professionals can enhance their
ability to detect, analyze, and mitigate the ever-evolving landscape of malicious software
threats. Further research and development in this area are warranted to explore new optimi-
zation techniques, feature engineering approaches, and ensemble learning strategies to further
improve the effectiveness and efficiency of GBA-based malware detection systems (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Performance analysis.

5 CONCLUSION

All things considered, the blend of man-made intelligence into network security tends to be a
momentous method for managing to address the consistently creating scene of computerized
risks. The advantages introduced by computer-based intelligence advancements are critical,

568
outfitting relationship with updated capacities with regards to risk acknowledgment, pro-
gressing checking, and adaptable response frameworks. As we investigate the complexities of
the state-of-the-art electronic environment, obviously a reliance solely on standard organi-
zation security measures is insufficient. Artificial intelligence adds to an adjustment of
standpoint, engaging a more proactive and dynamic insurance technique.

REFERENCES

[1] Depuru S., Hari P., Suhaas P., Basha S. R., Girish R. and. Raju K., (2023). A machine learning based
malware classification framework, 2023 5th International Conference on Smart Systems and Inventive
Technology (ICCSIT), Tirunelveli, India, pp. 1138–1143, doi:10.1109/ICSSIT55814.2023.10060914.
[2] Sivakumar Depuru, Anjana Nandan, Ramesh P.A., Sakthivel, Amala K. and Sivanantham. (2022).
Human emotion recognition system using deep learning technique. Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative
Results, 13(4), 1031–1035. https://doi.org/10.47750/pnr.2022.13.04.141 (Original Work published
November 4, 2022).
[3] Pujitha K., Kattamanchi Prem Krishna, Amala K., Annnavarapu Yassine, Sivakumar Depuru,
Kopparam Run Vika, (Nov. 2022). Development of secured online parking spaces, Journal of
Pharmaceutical Negative Results, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 1010–1013.
[4] Tuan, N.N.; Hung, P.H.; Nghia, N.D.; Van Tho, N.; Van Phan, T. and Thanh, N.H. (2020). A DDoS
attack mitigation scheme in ISP networks using machine learning based on SDN. Electronics, 9, 413.
[5] Elsayed, M.S.; Le-Khac, N.-A. and Jurcut, A.D. (2020). InSDN: A novel SDN intrusion dataset. IEEE
Access, 8, 165263–165284.
[6] Gomez-Rodriguez, J.R.; Sandoval-Arechiga, R.; Ibarra-Delgado, S.; Rodriguez-Abdala, V.I.;
Vazquez-Avila, J.L. and Parra-Michel, R. (2021). A survey of software-defined networks-on-chip:
Motivations, challenges and opportunities. Micro Machines, 12, 183. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
[PubMed].
[7] Ruaro, M.; Caimi, L.L. and Moraes, F.G. (2020). A systemic and secure SDN framework for NoC-
basedmany-cores. IEEE Access, 8, 105997–106008
[8] Ruaro, M.; Caimi, L.L. and Moraes, F.G. (2020). SDN-based secure application admission and
execution for many-cores. IEEE Access, 8, 177296–177306.
[9] Yang L., Guo W., Hao Q., Ciptadi A., Ahmadzadeh A., Xing X. , and Wang G., (2021). CADE:
Detecting and explaining concept drift samples for security applications, in Proc. 30th USENIX Secur.
Symp. (USENIX Security), pp. 2327–2344. [Online]. Available: https://www.usenix.org/conference/
usenixsecurity21/presentation/yang-limin.
[10] Wang W., Wei F., Dong L., Bao H., Yang N., and Zhou M., (2020). Minilm: Deep self-attention
distillation for task-agnosticcompression of pre-trained transformers, in Proc. 34th Adv.Neural Inf.
Process. Syst. (NeurIPS), vol. 33, pp. 5776–5788.
[11] Berestizshevsky, K.; Even, G.; Fais, Y. and Ostrometzky, J. (2017). SDNoC: Software defined network
on a chip. Microprocess. Microsyst. 50, 138–153.
[12] Jankowski, D. and Amanowicz, M. (22–23 May 2018). A study on flow features selection for malicious
activities detection in software defined networks. Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on
Military Communications and Information Systems (ICMCIS), Warsaw, Poland.
[13] Elsayed, M.S.; Le-Khac, N.-A. and Jurcut, A.D. (2020). InSDN: A novel SDN intrusion dataset. IEEE
Access, 8, 165263–165284.
[14] Queiroz, W.; Capretz, M.A.M. and Dantas, M. (2019) An approach for SDN traffic monitoring based
on big data techniques. J. Netw. Comput. Appl. 131, 28–39.
[15] Gomez-Rodriguez, J.R.; Sandoval-Arechiga, R.; Ibarra-Delgado, S.; Rodriguez-Abdala, V.I.;
Vazquez-Avila, J.L. and Parra-Michel, R. (2021). A survey of software-defined networks-on-chip:
motivations, challenges and opportunities. Micromachines, 12, 183.

569