Evaluating Large Language Models for Enhanced Intrusion Detection in Internet of Things Networks

Ebelechukwu Nwafor, Ujjwal Baskota, Md. Salik Parwez, Jeremy Blackstone, Habeeb Olufowobi

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) landscape has grown exponentially in recent years, making robust and efficient intrusion detection systems (IDS) even more critical. While Large Language Models (LLMs) have gained significant traction, their effectiveness in network intrusion detection remains largely unexplored. This paper proposes an LLM-based framework for enhanced threat detection and analysis in IoT networks. We explore using advanced LLMs like OpenAI’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) model, focusing on techniques such as fine-tuning and embedding similarity. Using real-world intrusion datasets, we evaluate the proposed LLM’s performance in detecting common network attacks and compare it with ensemble-based IDS solutions. We assess the efficiency of the LLM in binary class and multiclass classification task using standard metrics, such as accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 scores. While the fine-tuning approach does not produce comparable results to the current baseline ensemble-based IDS models, the embedding approach, however, yields comparable results. This analysis represents a starting point for exploring the utilization of advanced large language models for intrusion detection within an IoT ecosystem.

External IDs:dblp:conf/globecom/NwaforBPBO24