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Journals / Gazi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 11 Issue: 1

Classification of Encrypted Traffic with Machine Learning Algorithms

Makine Öğrenmesi Algoritmaları ile Şifreli Trafiğin Sınıflandırılması

Nur Betül Demirel(TÜBİTAK)0009-0001-9782-2507
Aydin Erden(MARMARA UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-5124-8335
Pages
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Publication Date
2025-04-30
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This study presents an effective model proposal in terms of classification success and speed for analyzing and classifying encrypted traffic using machine learning techniques.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:In today's context, due to the transformation of the internet infrastructure and security into a platform where a significant amount of sensitive data is shared in personal, commercial, and military domains, ensuring data security has become vital.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Comparisons are made between the success rates obtained and the rarely encountered algorithm speeds in the literature.
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Conclusion & Impact:This study presents an effective model proposal in terms of classification success and speed for analyzing and classifying encrypted traffic using machine learning techniques.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Machine learning · Ensemble learning · Encrypted network traffic

Abstract

In today's context, due to the transformation of the internet infrastructure and security into a platform where a significant amount of sensitive data is shared in personal, commercial, and military domains, ensuring data security has become vital. Encryption methods and protocols are employed to secure data. While encrypting data is beneficial for users, it can also be utilized by attackers who aim to conceal their activities on the network. This makes it challenging to analyze the traffic content without decrypting encrypted traffic. Properly analyzing and classifying encrypted traffic is a critical necessity for the detection of threats and the implementation of preventive measures. In this context, the classification of traffic using machine learning techniques, based on variables such as packet sizes and durations, is of importance. This study employs supervised machine learning algorithms including K-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machine, and Logistic Regression, as well as the community learning algorithm, Light Gradient Boosting Machine to classify encrypted network traffic. Comparisons are made between the success rates obtained and the rarely encountered algorithm speeds in the literature. The ISCXVPN2016 dataset, derived from real internet traffic data and containing commonly used classes in network traffic, is utilized in this study. This study presents an effective model proposal in terms of classification success and speed for analyzing and classifying encrypted traffic using machine learning techniques.

Özet

Günümüzde, internet altyapısı ve güvenliği kişisel, ticari ve askeri alanlarda birçok hassas verinin paylaşıldığı bir platforma dönüşmesi nedeniyle hayati bir önem kazanmıştır. Veri güvenliğinin sağlanması maksadı ile şifreleme yöntemleri ve protokolleri kullanılmaktadır. Verinin şifrelenmesi kullanıcılar için yararlı olsa da aynı zamanda ağdaki faaliyetlerini gizlemek isteyen saldırganlar tarafından da kullanılabilmektedir. Bu durum, şifreli trafiği deşifreleme yapmadan trafik içeriğini analiz etmeyi zorlaştırmaktadır. Şifreli trafiği doğru bir şekilde analiz etmek ve sınıflandırmak, tehditlerin tespit edilmesi ve önleyici tedbirlerin alınması açısından kritik bir gerekliliktir. Bu bağlamda paket boyutları, süre gibi değişkenler kullanılarak makine öğrenmesi teknikleri ile trafiğin sınıflandırılması önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada, denetimli makine öğrenmesi algoritmalarından K-En Yakın Komşu, Destek Vektör Makinesi ve Lojistik Regresyon algoritmaları ile topluluk öğrenmesi algoritmalarından Hafif Gradyan Artırma Makinesi algoritması kullanılarak şifreli ağ trafiğinin sınıflandırılması sağlanmıştır. Elde edilen başarı oranlarının ve literatürde nadiren karşılaşılan algoritma hızlarının karşılaştırmaları yapılmıştır. Çalışma kapsamında, ağ trafiğinde yaygın olarak kullanılan sınıfları içeren ve gerçek internet trafik verilerinden elde edilmiş olan ISCXVPN2016 veri seti kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma, şifreli trafiği etkili bir şekilde analiz etmek ve sınıflandırmak için makine öğrenmesi tekniklerini kullanarak sınıflandırma başarısı ve hız açısından etkin bir model önerisi sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Demirel, N. B., Erden, A. (2025). Classification of Encrypted Traffic with Machine Learning Algorithms. Gazi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, Volume: 11 Issue: 1. https://ajindex.com/articles/1397375

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