Affiliation:
1. School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Abstract
Machine Learning’s widespread application owes to its ability to develop accurate and scalable models. In cyber-security, where labeled data is scarce, Semi-Supervised Learning (SSL) emerges as a potential solution. SSL excels at tasks challenging traditional supervised and unsupervised algorithms by leveraging limited labeled data alongside abundant unlabeled data. This article presents a comprehensive survey of SSL in cyber-security, focusing on countering diverse cybercrimes, particularly intrusion detection. Despite its potential, a notable research gap persists, with few recent studies comprehensively reviewing SSL’s application in cyber-security. This study examines state-of-the-art SSL techniques tailored for cyber-security to address this gap. Relevant methods are identified, and their effectiveness is evaluated to empower researchers and practitioners with insights to enhance cyber-security measures. This work sheds light on SSL’s potential in addressing data scarcity in cyber-security domains in addition to outlining new research directions to advance this crucial field. By bridging this research gap, this manuscript paves the way for enhanced cyber-threat detection and mitigation in an increasingly interconnected world.
Funder
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Vector Institute, and The IBM Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) Canada
Publisher
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)