An Anomaly-Based Deep Learning Model for Detecting Known and Zero-Day Attacks in Network Traffic

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital communication, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), software-defined networking, and edge computing has significantly increased the complexity and volume of network traffic, creating new opportunities for sophisticated cyberattacks. Traditional signature-based intrusion detection systems are highly effective against previously identified threats but often fail to recognize emerging zero-day attacks whose behavioral characteristics have not been previously observed. Consequently, anomaly-based deep learning approaches have gained considerable attention because of their capability to automatically learn complex traffic patterns and identify deviations from legitimate network behavior. This study proposes an anomaly-based deep learning model for detecting both known and zero-day attacks in heterogeneous network environments. The proposed framework integrates advanced traffic preprocessing, automated feature extraction, deep neural representation learning, adaptive anomaly scoring, and intelligent attack classification to enhance detection accuracy while minimizing false alarms. The model is designed to capture nonlinear relationships among network traffic attributes, enabling effective identification of sophisticated intrusion attempts that evade conventional security mechanisms. Furthermore, the proposed architecture emphasizes scalability, robustness, and real-time applicability for modern enterprise networks. The anticipated outcomes demonstrate improved detection performance, reduced false positive rates, enhanced generalization capability for unseen attacks, and strengthened network resilience, thereby providing an effective intelligent cybersecurity solution for next-generation network intrusion detection systems.