A Framework & System for Classification of Encrypted Network Traffic using Machine Learning
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Traffic classification solutions are widely used by network operators and law enforcement agencies (LEA) for application identification. Widespread use of encryption reduces the accuracy of traditional traffic classification solutions such as DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). Machine Learning based solutions offer promise to fill the gap. However, enabling such systems to operate accurately in high speed networks remains a challenge. This paper makes multiple contributions. First, we report on the development of MLTAT, a high speed network classification platform which integrates DPI and machine learning and which supports flexible deployment of binary or multi-class classification solutions. Second, we identify a set of robust features which fulfill a dual-constraint - support 10Gbps computation rates and sufficient accuracy in the supervised machine learning models proposed for network traffic classification. Third, we develop a set of labeled data suitable for training the system and a framework for larger scale ground truth generation using co-training. Our findings indicate detection rates around 90% across 8 traffic classes, benchmarked in the system at 10Gbps rates.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.001 | 0.003 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Open science | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.011 | 0.007 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".