An Explainable AutoML-Driven Meta-Learning Scheme for Intrusion Prevention in Zero-Touch Networks Within Carbon Intelligent IIoT
Anik Islam, Hadis Karimipour, Thippa Reddy Gadekallu · IEEE Internet of Things Journal · 2025
Carbon Intelligent Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems are critical for achieving sustainable industrial automation but face challenges such as scalability, operational complexity, and security vulnerabilities. Zero-Touch Networks (ZTN), with their autonomous management capabilities, offer solutions to operational challenges but remain vulnerable to sophisticated cyber intrusions due to their high level of autonomy and interconnectedness. While Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially Deep Learning (DL), shows potential in intrusion detection, current approaches often encounter obstacles such as insufficient datasets, challenges in automated data preprocessing, and a lack of transparency. This paper introduces an AutoML-enabled Meta Learning-based Intrusion Prevention Scheme designed specifically for ZTN within Carbon Intelligent IIoT. The proposed framework integrates AutoML and meta-learning to streamline data preprocessing and improve model adaptability in dynamic and evolving threat environments. To ensure transparency, an Integrated Gradient-based Explainable AI (XAI) mechanism is employed, offering insights into the impact of individual features on model predictions, thereby addressing concerns related to trust and accountability in industrial applications. Experimental evaluations demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness in enhancing intrusion prevention, bolstering security, and improving transparency for ZTN in carbon intelligent IIoT, providing a comprehensive solution to prevailing challenges.