arXiv AI

Cross-Domain Generalization Failure in Lightweight Intrusion Detection Models for IIoT Networks

arXiv:2607. 00553v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Lightweight machine learning models are increasingly proposed for intrusion detection in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks due to their suitability for resource-constrained edge deployment.

arXiv AI
Sep 15

A Three-Axis Stress Test of LLM vs Classical ML for Network Intrusion Detection under Distribution Shift and Adversarial Evasion

The study compares XGBoost and RoBERTa‑LoRA for network intrusion detection across three evaluation axes: same‑dataset performance, cross‑dataset transfer, and adversarial evasion. Both models perform similarly on the same dataset, but XGBoost outperforms RoBERTa‑LoRA by 15 F1 points and 25 balanced accuracy points when transferred to a different network, while RoBERTa‑LoRA wins by about 17 F1 points under adversarial evasion. Feature‑leakage ablation shows that cross‑dataset transfer improvements are non‑monotonic and directional, suggesting leakage is spread across features rather than isolated. "whyItMatters":"The findings demonstrate that a model’s superiority depends on the specific robustness axis evaluated, underscoring the need for multi‑axis, multi‑metric testing in network intrusion detection research."

By Muhammad Ebad Atif, Muhammad Haider Ali
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 25

Unmasking Shortcut Learning in IoT Intrusion Detection: A Forensic, Multi-Paradigm Evaluation of Feature Dependence and Data Leakage

The paper investigates whether machine learning models for IoT intrusion detection truly learn attack patterns or rely on dataset shortcuts. Using the CyberFlowIoT-GICAP benchmark, the authors evaluate four learning paradigms across different feature sets and split strategies, finding that performance is largely driven by feature representation and that tree-based models can exploit temporal artifacts. The study also highlights asymmetric attack detectability and proposes a four-point protocol checklist for realistic evaluation.

By Uday Shankar Roy, Mahbuba Jahan Minu