Network Intrusion Datasets: A Survey, Limitations, and Recommendations

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Goldschmidt, Patrik, Chudá, Daniela
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Goldschmidt, Patrik
Chudá, Daniela
author_facet Goldschmidt, Patrik
Chudá, Daniela
contents Data-driven cyberthreat detection has become a crucial defense technique in modern cybersecurity. Network defense, supported by Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDSs), has also increasingly adopted data-driven approaches, leading to greater reliance on data. Despite the importance of data, its scarcity has long been recognized as a major obstacle in NIDS research. In response, the community has published many new datasets recently. However, many of them remain largely unknown and unanalyzed, leaving researchers uncertain about their suitability for specific use cases. In this paper, we aim to address this knowledge gap by performing a systematic literature review (SLR) of 89 public datasets for NIDS research. Each dataset is comparatively analyzed across 13 key properties, and its potential applications are outlined. Beyond the review, we also discuss domain-specific challenges and common data limitations to facilitate a critical view on data quality. To aid in data selection, we conduct a dataset popularity analysis in contemporary state-of-the-art NIDS research. Furthermore, the paper presents best practices for dataset selection, generation, and usage. By providing a comprehensive overview of the domain and its data, this work aims to guide future research toward improving data quality and the robustness of NIDS solutions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_06688
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Network Intrusion Datasets: A Survey, Limitations, and Recommendations
Goldschmidt, Patrik
Chudá, Daniela
Cryptography and Security
Networking and Internet Architecture
K.6.5; C.2.3
Data-driven cyberthreat detection has become a crucial defense technique in modern cybersecurity. Network defense, supported by Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDSs), has also increasingly adopted data-driven approaches, leading to greater reliance on data. Despite the importance of data, its scarcity has long been recognized as a major obstacle in NIDS research. In response, the community has published many new datasets recently. However, many of them remain largely unknown and unanalyzed, leaving researchers uncertain about their suitability for specific use cases. In this paper, we aim to address this knowledge gap by performing a systematic literature review (SLR) of 89 public datasets for NIDS research. Each dataset is comparatively analyzed across 13 key properties, and its potential applications are outlined. Beyond the review, we also discuss domain-specific challenges and common data limitations to facilitate a critical view on data quality. To aid in data selection, we conduct a dataset popularity analysis in contemporary state-of-the-art NIDS research. Furthermore, the paper presents best practices for dataset selection, generation, and usage. By providing a comprehensive overview of the domain and its data, this work aims to guide future research toward improving data quality and the robustness of NIDS solutions.
title Network Intrusion Datasets: A Survey, Limitations, and Recommendations
topic Cryptography and Security
Networking and Internet Architecture
K.6.5; C.2.3
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.06688