Harnessing the Speed and Accuracy of Machine Learning to Advance Cybersecurity
Rebet Keith Jones, Marwan Omar, Derek Mohammed, Calvin Nobles, Maurice Eugene Dawson · 2023
As cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, detecting malware has become a critical task for maintaining the security of computer systems. Traditional signature-based malware detection methods have limitations in detecting complex and evolving threats. Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a promising solution to detect malware effectively in recent years. ML algorithms can analyze large datasets and identify patterns difficult for humans to identify. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art ML techniques used in malware detection, including supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. We also examine the challenges and limitations of ML- based malware detection, such as the potential for adversarial attacks and the need for large amounts of labeled data. Furthermore, we discuss future directions in ML-based malware detection, including integrating multiple ML algorithms and using explainable AI techniques to enhance the interpretability of ML-based detection systems. Our research highlights the potential of ML-based techniques to improve the speed and accuracy of malware detection and enhance cybersecurity.