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    <journal-meta />
    <article-meta>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Module for Detecting and Analyzing Cyber Threats in Information and Communication Systems of Civil Aviation Facilities⋆</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <string-name>Anna Ilyenko</string-name>
          <email>anna.ilienko@npp.nau.edu.ua</email>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff0">0</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <string-name>Sergiy Gnatyuk</string-name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff0">0</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <string-name>Sergii Ilyenko</string-name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff0">0</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <string-name>Olena Prokopenko</string-name>
          <email>olena.prokopenko@npp.nau.edu.ua</email>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff0">0</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <string-name>Valentyna Teliushchenko</string-name>
          <email>valentyna.teliushchenko@npp.nau.edu.ua</email>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff0">0</xref>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="aff0">
          <label>0</label>
          <institution>The State University “Kyiv Aviation Institute”</institution>
          ,
          <addr-line>1 Liubomyra Huzara ave., 03058 Kyiv</addr-line>
          ,
          <country country="UA">Ukraine</country>
        </aff>
      </contrib-group>
      <fpage>158</fpage>
      <lpage>172</lpage>
      <abstract>
        <p>This paper focuses on the problems of ensuring cybersecurity of civil aviation information and communication systems, that are critical for flight safety and the functioning of the industry overall. With the growth of information flows, the complexity of communication systems, and the increasing frequency of cyber threats, it is imperative to develop effective methods for detecting and neutralizing attacks. The paper highlights the current cybersecurity challenges in the aviation sector, including DoS, DDoS, XSS, CSRF, and ransomware attacks. The paper analyses threat detection methods, including signature-based, anomaly analysis, machine learning, and combined approaches. The architecture of the module for detecting and analyzing cyber threats using combined machine learning models, such as Random Forest, MLP, and SVM, is provided. This allows the system to increase its accuracy and sensitivity, reduce the number of false positives, and ensure adaptability to new threats. In particular, the results of the study showed an increase in attack detection accuracy by 1.05-1.48 times, sensitivity by 1.02 times, and predictive ability by 2.18 times. The module is based on an integrated approach that includes real-time data collection, pre-processing, analysis based on machine learning algorithms, and automatic threat response. The proposed system demonstrates high efficiency in real-time conditions, protecting the surface-to-air and air-to-air channels. It can be adapted for other critical industries. Thus, the proposed solution is a promising tool for ensuring cybersecurity in civil aviation and critical infrastructure in general.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group>
        <kwd>eol&gt;cybersecurity</kwd>
        <kwd>information and communication systems</kwd>
        <kwd>civil aviation</kwd>
        <kwd>machine learning</kwd>
        <kwd>cyber threat detection</kwd>
        <kwd>combined models</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <sec id="sec-1">
      <title>1. Introduction</title>
      <p>
        Civil aviation is one of the most important critical infrastructures that not only transports
passengers and cargo but also supports global economic and social processes [
        <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1 ref2">1, 2</xref>
        ]. With the
development of technology, most of its information and communication systems and processes are
heavily dependent on digital tools, such as air traffic control systems, navigation systems, and the
processing and transmission of information between onboard and ground services. This trend
significantly increases the level of vulnerability to cyberattacks. With the growth of information
flows and the complexity of civil aviation communication systems, ensuring the security of
information flows in the information and communication systems of civil aviation facilities is
becoming critically important.
The issue of safe operation of civil aviation facilities is becoming increasingly urgent in terms of
the negative impact of ever-growing cyber threats and the deterioration of cyber security in the
aviation industry overall. The protection status of the ground-to-air and air-to-air channels in such
aviation systems is at different levels and directly depends on the activities of all components of
aviation activities (information network traffic control, etc.) Some communication channels are
currently not protected at all and are open, which provokes an inevitable increase in cyberattacks
and requires the introduction and use of modern information and communication technologies in
such communication channels. According to research, attacks can affect the following: air traffic
control systems; navigation systems; onboard and ground communication systems. These systems
are key to flight safety, and even the slightest interference can lead to serious consequences, such
as disruption of flight control, navigation failures, or loss of control over the aircraft. Information
flows in the information and communication systems of civil aviation facilities cover a wide range
of data: from flight information to technical reports and navigation data. This requires constant
protection both during data transmission and during storage and processing. Different types of
data have different levels of criticality, so special methods are needed to ensure their security.
Today, civil aviation information and communication systems have a complex life cycle, which
includes design; deployment; operation; and modernization. At each of these stages, information
flows may be exposed to various threats. Existing cybersecurity solutions do not always consider
the specifics of civil aviation information and communication systems.
      </p>
      <p>The modern development of information technology and the growth of cyber threats make the
security of information and communication systems at civil aviation facilities a critical task. The
aviation industry is one of the most attractive targets for cyberattacks, as it is integrated into the
global infrastructure and has a huge impact on passenger safety and the functioning of the
economy. Attacks targeting aviation communication channels can have significant consequences,
including disruption of flight control systems, loss of confidential data, or even disruption of
airport operations.</p>
      <p>Over the past few years, cyberattacks on the aviation industry have been increasing in both
frequency and sophistication. In particular, from 2022 to 2024, the number of attacks on critical
infrastructure, including aviation, increased significantly. In 2023, attacks using the MOVEit
ransomware became widely known, causing data breaches at airlines such as British Airways and
Aer Lingus. The vulnerability allowed the attackers to gain access to employees’ data, including
payment and other confidential information. In the period from 2022 to 2023, there were also
numerous attempts to compromise aviation systems using botnets, which makes it difficult to
identify the source of attacks and can lead to significant operational disruptions. Another problem
is the growing number of DDoS attacks that disrupt airports and airlines. DDoS attacks on flight
control systems lead to flight delays and financial losses namely, a cyberattack on Japan Airlines
(December 26, 2024), and two Italia airports (December 28, 2024).</p>
      <p>The authors’ analysis of cyber threats in civil aviation over the past five years shows a
significant increase in attacks. Key trends: Ransomware: The number of attacks increased from 20%
in 2019 to 40% in 2023.DDoS attacks: The share of attacks increased from 15% to 25%, indicating a
growing interest of attackers in destabilizing aviation online services. Data threats: A significant
increase from 25% to 45% was noted, highlighting the critical importance of protecting personal
and corporate data. Malware: The number of incidents increased from 10% to 20%, indicating the
active use of malware to compromise systems. Social engineering: Although its share is smaller, it
is gradually increasing—from 5% to 15%, remaining a powerful tool for cybercriminals.</p>
      <p>The chart shows the percentage distribution of major cyber threats in aviation over the last 5
years (Fig. 1).
The data highlights the need to strengthen cybersecurity measures, including data protection,
communication protocols, and flight management systems. It is also important to raise staff
awareness and implement modern technologies to monitor and prevent attacks.</p>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-2">
      <title>2. Problem statement</title>
      <p>
        One of the most promising approaches to improving the security of aviation communication
channels is the use of machine learning to detect anomalous behavior in network traffic [
        <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3 ref4">3, 4</xref>
        ].
However, single machine learning models have limitations in accuracy and ability to adapt to new
types of attacks. In this regard, it is proposed to use a combination of several machine learning
models, such as Random Forest, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and Support Vector Machine
(SVM), to create a more reliable and resilient cyberattack detection system.
      </p>
      <p>The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a combined
machinelearning system for real-time threat detection in aviation communication channels. The paper
shows how the combination of models can increase the accuracy of attack detection, improve the
system’s sensitivity to new threats, and ensure classification stability under challenging network
conditions. The test results confirm that the proposed solution is an effective tool for ensuring
cybersecurity in the aviation sector. The designed software module combines the signature method
with machine learning methods such as Random Forest, MLP, and SVM, ensuring increased
efficiency of cyber threat detection. This model provides the ability to adapt to new types of
attacks, improve detection accuracy, and reduce threat processing time. In a dynamic information
and communication systems environment, this is crucial for ensuring the reliability and
uninterrupted operation of systems. The module aims to improve detection accuracy using
combined models. The results of the study showed an increase in accuracy, sensitivity, and a
reduction in false positives, making this approach particularly effective in the context of civil
aviation cybersecurity.</p>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-3">
      <title>3. Modern methods of cyber-attack detection</title>
      <p>
        Various methods and approaches are used to effectively detect cyberattacks, each with its
characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Understanding these methods is key to building
robust cybersecurity systems that can detect and respond to threats promptly [
        <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref10 ref11 ref12 ref5 ref6 ref7 ref8 ref9">5–12</xref>
        ].
The methods for detecting cyber-attacks are as follows:
1. Signature-based—this method describes a cyberattack using a set of rules or a formal model,
which can be a character string, a semantic expression in a special language, etc. The
essence of this method is using a specialized database of cyberattack patterns (signatures) to
search for actions that fall under the definition of ‘cyberattack’. The signature method can
protect against a virus or hacker cyberattack when its signature is already known and
entered the database. If the network is subjected to the first attack from the outside, the
      </p>
      <p>first infection is still unknown, and the database simply does not have enough signatures to
search for it, so the system will not be able to signal danger, as it considers the attacking
activity to be legitimate.</p>
      <p>Anomaly-based detection—this method consists of finding and identifying elements, events,
or observations that deviate from the expected behavior or other elements of the data set. In
the context of detecting network abuse or intrusion, unexpected activity spikes are of
primary interest, not just rare events. These spikes do not meet the common statistical
definition of outliers as rare objects, so many outlier detection methods, especially
unsupervised algorithms, are ineffective without appropriate data collection.</p>
      <p>
        Machine learning and AI—this method is very effective nowadays because AI can analyze
huge amounts of data from various sources, identifying patterns of activity within an
organization. It can track the time and place of login, the volume of network traffic, as well
as the devices and cloud applications used. By understanding what actions are typical for
employees, AI can detect anomalies that may indicate potential threats and require further
investigation. To ensure confidentiality, data from one organization is not used to train AI
in other companies. Instead, AI uses synthesized global threat intelligence gathered from
many organizations to improve the efficiency of its analysis [
        <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref10 ref8">8, 10, 13, 14</xref>
        ].
      </p>
      <p>Combined—this method of cyber-attack detection includes different approaches to improve
detection efficiency and reduce the number of false positives. This method takes advantage of
several techniques, such as signature analysis, anomaly analysis, and machine learning, to
create a more reliable and accurate threat detection system. From signature analysis, this
method uses databases of known attack patterns or signatures to compare current activity
with known attacks. With anomaly analysis, this method detects deviations from normal
system or network behavior by creating a model of normal activity and tracking any
anomalies. This helps to detect new, previously unknown attacks. With machine learning and
AI, this method automatically detects anomalies and attacks by analyzing large amounts of
data and identifying complex patterns.</p>
      <p>Considering these aspects, it becomes clear that effective cyberattack detection requires a
comprehensive approach that combines the advantages of several classes of solutions. Thus, to
further improve cyberattack detection systems, it is proposed to develop a software solution that
integrates the best practices from each of the analyzed classes. In particular, it is important to pay
attention to the use of artificial intelligence to automate threat detection, which will increase the
effectiveness of responding to new and complex attacks.</p>
      <p>A combined method is the best choice for aviation communication channels that require
maximum accuracy, adaptability, and speed, namely a combination of signature-based methods and
machine learning algorithms. It allows the detection of both known and new threats, reducing risks
to critical infrastructure (Table 1).
Machine Automation, adaptation to
learning and AI new threats</p>
      <p>Disadvantages
Failure to detect new
attacks need for updates
False positives need for
adaptation
Complexity and resource
intensity</p>
      <p>Detectable attacks
DoS, SQLi, XSS
DDoS, intrusion
attempts
Combined attacks,
XSS + CSRF
Combined</p>
      <p>Maximum accuracy, reduction High complexity and costs
of false alarms
All the attacks
mentioned</p>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-4">
      <title>4. Description of the proposed solution for detecting cyberattacks using machine learning</title>
      <p>Modern cybersecurity systems are faced with an ever-increasing number of rapidly evolving
threats. In particular, as the complexity and frequency of cyberattacks increase, existing defense
methods are proving insufficiently effective. Traditional threat detection systems are largely based
on static rules and signatures, making them vulnerable to new, unknown types of attacks [15].</p>
      <p>Thus, there is an urgent need for new approaches that can adapt to changing conditions and
provide more flexible and effective detection of cyberattacks.</p>
      <p>Consider further the main machine learning algorithms that will be used in the developed
system to detect cyber threats. These algorithms are responsible for analyzing data, identifying
potential threats, and making decisions on further actions. Through the use of machine learning,
the system can adapt to new challenges in the field of cybersecurity, improving its methods and
approaches in real time [14, 16–19].</p>
      <sec id="sec-4-1">
        <title>4.1. Random forest</title>
        <p>Random Forest is an ensemble machine learning method that consists of many decision trees that
work together. Each tree in the random forest is generated from a random sample of data, and the
result is determined by the voting of all the trees. This method is a powerful tool for classification
and regression and is especially effective in situations where data has many features [16].</p>
        <p>Formula for node splitting calculation (Gini(D)):</p>
        <p>C
Gini ( D )=1−∑ pi2 ,
i=1
(1)
where Gini ( D ) is the measure of node D impurity; C is number of classes; pi is the probability of
class i in the node .</p>
        <p>Random Forest is an ensemble method that combines many individual decision trees to improve
the accuracy and resilience of the model. This algorithm was chosen because of its ability to work
efficiently with large amounts of data and many features, which is typical for cybersecurity tasks.
Random Forest effectively processes data containing noise or missing values, which reduces the
likelihood of false positives. In addition, this method is highly interpretable, making it easy to
explain the model’s decisions and identify the key features that influenced the result.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec-4-2">
        <title>4.2. Support vector machine</title>
        <p>SVM is an algorithm for data classification that finds the hyperplane that best separates classes in
the feature space. Choosing a hyperplane that maximizes the distance (margin) between different
classes helps SVM achieve high classification accuracy [20–22].</p>
        <p>The formula for loss function (L):</p>
        <p>L( w , b , xi , yi )=max ⁡( 0 ,1− yi ( w × xi+b ) ,
(2)
where w is weight vector; b is offset; xi is feature vector; yi is class label (+1 or –1).</p>
        <p>The basis for this model is the concept of margin maximization, which is used to achieve
optimal class separation in the feature space. The loss function L minimizes classification errors,
ensuring optimal class separation.</p>
        <p>Support Vector Machine is a powerful method for data classification, especially when it involves
tasks with many features and a small number of training examples. SVM was chosen because of its
ability to work effectively in high-dimensional feature space and provide good generalization on
new data. This method also demonstrates high accuracy in anomaly detection, which is an
important aspect of cybersecurity tasks where correct threat recognition is critical.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec-4-3">
        <title>4.3. Neural networks</title>
        <p>Neural networks are a type of deep learning algorithm that simulates the human brain to process
complex patterns and features in large data sets. Neural networks consist of different layers of
neurons that transform input data, learn from it, and make decisions based on their processing [16,
17, 23]. The formula for activation function:</p>
        <p>ReLU ( x )=max ⁡( 0 , x ) ,
(3)
where ReLU ( x ) is the output of the neuron; x is the input value (the sum of the weighted inputs
of the neuron).</p>
        <p>The basis for this model is the concept of activation functions that determine the output of
neurons in the network. ReLU (Rectified Linear Unit) is one of the most popular activation
functions that provides fast and efficient data processing in deep neural networks. The use of
machine learning in cyber threat detection systems for civil aviation is critical due to the unique
challenges faced in this area. The aviation infrastructure is associated with large flows of real-time
data, high-security requirements, and the need to quickly adapt to new types of attacks.</p>
        <p>All these algorithms can adapt to new threats by learning from the latest data. For example, in
the aviation sector, these algorithms can be integrated into systems for traffic control, analyzing
the behavior of onboard software, and assessing the cybersecurity risks of airport information
systems. In addition, this approach allows for the integration of machine learning into complex
incident response systems. For example: automated detection of suspicious requests to the flight
control system; detection of deviations in aircraft routes that may indicate intrusion into
navigation systems; and monitoring of the behavior of IoT devices at the airport to prevent them
from being used as points of attack.</p>
        <p>Thus, the use of several methods in combination makes it possible to build a multi-level defense
system that not only identifies threats but also adapts to new challenges. This approach makes the
system as resilient and reliable as possible, which is crucial for ensuring cybersecurity in critical
industries such as civil aviation.
The focus of the module for detecting and analyzing cyber threats in the information and
communication systems of civil aviation facilities is to determine network traffic metrics (Tables 3
and 4). Such data can be part of training sets for machine learning models in cybersecurity tasks.
Network traffic metrics can be an effective tool for detecting and preventing cyber threats in
aviation communication channels. Their use will provide an additional layer of protection for
critical communications systems against cyberattacks and contribute to the comprehensive security
of aviation operations. Metrics can be used to protect aviation communications because they are
universal indicators of network traffic and can help detect anomalies or cyber threats such as
intrusion attempts, network scans, or DoS/DDoS attacks. The metrics can be used in the context of
protecting aviation communication channels:</p>
        <p>Metric</p>
        <p>Description
Subflow Fwd Packets Packets in the forward subflow
Subflow Bwd Packets Packets in the reverse subflow
FIN Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of FIN packets
PSH Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of PSH packets
URG Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of URG packets</p>
        <p>Reason of less importance
Less impactful on overall analysis,
useful for in-depth analysis
Important for ex-post analysis, but
not critical in real time
More related to session completion,
less commonly used
Indicates data transfer immediately,
but not always important
Rarely used in attack practice,
minimal value
Fwd Packets/s</p>
        <p>Packet rate in the forward direction Less informative than the overall
transmission rate
These metrics can be used as features for training machine learning models to create an early
warning system that automatically detects suspicious activity in the airline channel network,
including attacks such as DoS, DDoS, port scanning, etc. Such data can be a part of training sets for
machine learning models in cybersecurity tasks. It is important to consider the limitations of
system response time and computing resources while processing network traffic in real time. In the
context of aviation communication channels, where high reliability, minimal latency, and security
are important, it is critical to quickly detect anomalies that may indicate cyber threats or
disruptions. Therefore, the authors propose to classify metrics into those that are critical for rapid
attack detection and those that can be neglected without significant performance degradation.
Metric
Flow Packets/s
SYN Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of SYN packets
RST Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of RST packets
Flow Duration</p>
        <p>Duration of the stream
ACK Flag Count</p>
        <p>Number of ACK packets
Flow Bytes/s</p>
        <p>Byte transfer rate in the stream
Bwd Packets/s
Total Fwd Packets</p>
        <p>Packet rate in the opposite
direction
Total number of transmitted
packets</p>
        <p>Detect SYN floods and hacking
attempts through session
establishment
Detects attempts to force termination
of sessions
Can indicate suspiciously long
sessions or delays
Monitor connection completion and
data transfer confirmations
Displays the amount of data
transferred, which is important for
leak detection
Detection of abnormal activity in
response to requests
Important for analyzing the volume
and type of transmission
Description</p>
        <p>Reason of importance
Packet transfer rate in the stream Can detect DoS/DDoS attacks and
abnormal changes in traffic
Total Backward Packets Total number of packets in the
opposite direction</p>
        <p>Detecting anomalous responses to
requests
The authors determine that critical metrics for aviation communication channels (Table 3) are
those that can rapidly detect denial-of-service attacks (DoS/DDoS), interception attempts, or data
integrity violations (SYN, RST, ACK flags), while secondary metrics are more suitable for offline
analysis or improving detailed models, but they are not key to detecting threats in real-time (Table
4). These metrics can be effectively used to analyze the network flows of aviation communication
channels. They allow the detection of anomalies and cyber threats in real time, which is critical to
ensuring the security of flight control systems, data transmission, and communications between
airports and aircraft.</p>
        <p>The impact of using metrics: Accuracy: High accuracy is essential to minimize false positives
and false negatives. In the aviation industry, it helps to avoid unnecessary alerts and focus on real
threats. Precision: High accuracy ensures that many detected threats are genuine attacks, reducing
the load on response systems and time spent on verifying false positives. Recall: Recall is critical in
real-time networks because it ensures that as many threats as possible are detected, even if they are
new or subtle types of attacks. F1-score: It provides a balance between recall and precision, which
allows you to optimize the process of detecting attacks without significantly increasing false
positives. Latency: For aviation channels, the speed of threat detection is important to prevent
potential disruptions of critical systems.</p>
        <p>Reducing attack detection delays is a key performance indicator for the model. Use cases:
Detecting DDoS attacks: Accuracy and recall metrics provide a quick way to detect anomalies in
traffic; XSS and CSRF analysis: F1-score provides accurate identification of threats, even if they are
disguised as legitimate requests$ real-time anomaly monitoring: The system can respond quickly to
abnormal changes in network traffic due to its recall and reduced latency.
The described metrics and combined machine learning models are effective tools for analyzing
network flows of aviation communication channels. They provide high accuracy and speed of
threat detection, which minimizes the risk of disruption, prevents cyberattacks, and improves the
overall security of aviation infrastructure.</p>
      </sec>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-5">
      <title>5. The architecture of the module for detecting and analyzing cyber threats in information and communication systems of civil aviation facilities</title>
      <p>The basic architecture of the module consists of several components that collect, process, and
analyze data using machine learning methods, and respond to detected threats. Each module
performs its specific function, integrating into the overall system to ensure continuous monitoring
and protection of the computer network of objects that provide effective detection, analysis, and
response to cyber threats:</p>
      <p>Data Collection Module. The data collection module performs the key function of threat
detection by receiving information about network activity in real-time or by downloading it
from pre-saved CSV files. The main scenarios of the module’s operation include two modes:
a) Real-time data collection: The module uses an element to monitor network activity.
Psutil collects metrics such as the number of bytes and packets sent and received. This
process takes place periodically, for example, every 5 seconds, and the result is saved to a
data structure for further processing and analysis. b) Downloading data from CSV: The
module also supports the ability to load data from CSV files, which enables the use of
previously saved datasets. This module is the basis for further processing steps such as data
pre-processing and analysis based on machine learning algorithms.</p>
      <p>Data pre-processing module. The data pre-processing module performs key operations to
clean, normalize, and reduce the dimensionality of the data before it is passed to the
machine learning algorithms. Its primary task is to prepare the collected or uploaded data
for further analysis, ensuring that it is correct and suitable for use in models. This method
standardizes each feature, converting it to a value with a mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1. This is necessary to improve the performance of machine learning models,
especially for algorithms that depend on data scaling, such as SVMs and neural networks.
PCA (Principal Component Analysis) is used to efficiently process large amounts of data
and prevent model overtraining. This module provides data readiness for the next stage of
analysis based on machine learning algorithms, allowing models to work correctly and
efficiently.</p>
      <p>AI analysis module. The AI analysis module is the core part of the system that detects
anomalous activity or threats based on collected and pre-processed data. This module uses
several machine learning algorithms to classify data and identify potential cyber threats.
The system uses pre-trained models that have been created based on historical data with
labels. The module allows both training new models and loading already trained models
from files to analyze new data in real-time. The module supports three main types of
models: RandomForest, SVM, and MLP. The model evaluation is performed using several
metrics to understand how effectively the system detects threats. The main functions of this
stage are: model training, which is performed on historical data with labels; during
realtime analysis, pre-trained models are loaded; performance evaluation, using metrics to
analyze classification results and model accuracy; real-time analysis, using models to detect
anomalies in real-time data; various metrics are used to evaluate the performance of
machine learning models, such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, area under ROC
curve. These metrics provide an objective assessment of the model’s performance in
detecting anomalies or cyber threats.</p>
      <p>Response module. The Response Module is a critical part of the system that provides
automatic response to detected anomalies and cyber threats. Its functionality ensures the
prompt sending of notifications to administrators and the implementation of measures to
minimize possible threats, such as blocking suspicious IP addresses. As soon as the system
detects anomalies or a potential cyber threat, it is necessary to immediately notify the
administrator or a contact person who has permission to send emails via SMTP servers. The
main advantages of such a system are that alerts are sent to emails in real-time, which
allows for a prompt response to potential threats, and that the use of .env files to store
credentials increases the security of the notification process. Blocking suspicious IP
addresses is one of the most important measures in response to cyber threats. For this
purpose, a tool or corresponding commands on other operating systems are used to
dynamically block IP addresses at the firewall level.</p>
      <p>Data storage module. One of the key requirements of the system is to maintain an event log
and store data on detected anomalies and actions taken to neutralize them.</p>
      <p>This architecture ensures continuous monitoring, data processing, anomaly detection, and rapid
response, contributing to a high level of security for civil aviation information and communication
systems.</p>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-6">
      <title>6. Effectiveness evaluation of the module for detecting and analyzing cyber threats in information and communication systems of civil aviation facilities using machine learning</title>
      <p>The evaluation of the models is performed using several metrics to understand how effectively the
system detects threats. The main functions of this stage are: model training, which is performed on
historical data with labels; during real-time analysis, pre-trained models are loaded; effectiveness
evaluation, using metrics to analyze the classification results and accuracy of the models; real-time
analysis, using models to detect anomalies in the data collected in real-time; various metrics are
used to evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning models, such as accuracy, precision, recall,
F1-measure and area under ROC curve. These metrics provide an objective assessment of the
model’s performance in detecting anomalies or cyber threats. To assess the accuracy of each model,
we also calculated confusion matrices, which display the number of cases in which the model
correctly identified threats (positive cases) and normal data (negative cases), and situations where
it made a mistake. This tool is useful for evaluating the accuracy of the model, as it indicates how
effectively it detects threats and distinguishes them from normal traffic.</p>
      <p>Below are the mathematical formulas for each metric.</p>
      <p>Accuracy. The ratio of correct predictions to the total number of predictions. This metric
can be used to assess the overall performance of the model.</p>
      <p>Accuracy =</p>
      <p>TP +TN
TP +TN + FP + FN
,
(4)
where TP is the number of true positive results (correctly classified attacks); TN is the
number of true negative results (correctly classified non-attacks); FP is the number of false
positives (not attacks that are mistakenly classified as attacks); FN is the number of false
negatives (attacks that are mistakenly classified as non-attacks).</p>
      <p>Recall. The rate of true positive cases that were correctly detected by the model. An
important metric for assessing the model’s ability to detect all possible threats.
3. Precision. The rate of correct positive predictions among all cases that the model
recognized as threats. It helps to estimate the number of false positives.
4. F1-score. The harmonic mean between the accuracy of positive predictions and recall. This
is an integrated metric that considers both false positives and false negatives.</p>
      <p>Recall=</p>
      <p>TP
TP + FN</p>
      <p>,
Precision=</p>
      <p>TP
TP + FP</p>
      <p>,
F 1=2 ×</p>
      <p>¿ ision × Recall ,
Precision+ Recall
(5)
(6)
(7)</p>
      <p>The area under ROC curve (AUC-ROC). The area under the ROC curve is a measure of the
model’s ability to distinguish between positive and negative classes. The values range from
0.5 (random prediction) to 1 (perfect prediction).
The proposed combination of machine learning models, such as Random Forest and MLP, has
improved the accuracy and stability of the cyberattack detection system for civil aviation
information networks (Figs. 2–5), i.e. the test model showed the following results: the accuracy of
attack detection was increased by up to 3.35 times and the precision was increased from 1.05 to 1.48
times.
The author’s model also provides an increase in sensitivity to attack detection (recall) by up to 1.02
times and an increase in the model’s predictive ability (f1-score) by 1.04 to 2.18 times. The
proprietary software solution can detect various threats in real-time, such as DoS (Denial of
Service), DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), XSS (Cross-Site Scripting), CSRF (Cross-Site Request
Forgery), and anomalies in network traffic. Thus, the proposed model provides high accuracy due
to the combination of several models; the ability to quickly detect cyberattacks in real-time; and the
model can adapt to new types of attacks (Table 5).</p>
      <p>Threshold-based detection (deviation from the average)
Random Forest
MLP
SVM
Combined (Random Forest + SVM + MLP)
Combined (Random Forest + MLP)
Precision Recall</p>
      <p>F1</p>
      <p>Accuracy
This model allows us to effectively monitor anomalies and detect cyberattacks on aviation
communication channels. Such a multi-level system makes it possible to achieve high efficiency in
detecting, classifying, and preventing cyber threats in critical communication channels.</p>
    </sec>
    <sec id="sec-7">
      <title>Conclusions</title>
      <p>These combined machine learning models, in particular Random Forest and MLP, have
demonstrated significant benefits in creating a cyberattack detection system for civil aviation
information networks. The combination of Random Forest, MLP, and other algorithms has
significantly improved the quality of attack detection due to their complementary characteristics.
Random Forest is efficient in working with large data sets and has a high resistance to
overtraining, while MLP can handle non-linear relationships, which is important for complex
threats in the cyber environment.</p>
      <p>The results demonstrate the following advantages: 1. Increased attack detection accuracy. The
model achieved an increase in accuracy of up to 3.35 times, which indicates its ability to better
identify threats. 2. Improved classification accuracy. The model’s accuracy has increased from 1.05
to 1.48 times, which ensures fewer false positives and false negatives. 3. Increased system
sensitivity. The sensitivity of the model, which is a critical indicator for detecting new or subtle
attacks, has increased to 1.02 times. 4. Increased predictive capability The system’s predictive
capability has improved by a factor of 1.04 to 2.18, which confirms its ability to more accurately
predict future threats. The results confirm the effectiveness of combining different machine
learning algorithms to create a cyberattack detection system capable of operating in a complex and
changing civil aviation environment. Such a system enhances the security of information networks
by providing an effective response to threats in real-time. The modular architecture of the system
allows for the integration of various data sources, pre-processing, and analysis, as well as training
and updating of models to adapt to changing conditions. This is critical for aviation systems
operating in a dynamic environment with high safety requirements. The integration of analysis
and response modules allows for rapid identification of threats and automatic action (e.g., blocking
IP addresses), minimizing the impact of cyberattacks. The proposed system architecture can be
easily scaled to handle large volumes of traffic and integrated into various information and
communication systems. This allows it to be used not only in aviation but also in other critical
infrastructure sectors. The implementation of such a system helps to reduce the risks of
cyberattacks on civil aviation facilities, including DoS, DDoS, XSS, CSRF, and network traffic anomalies.
This significantly improves the security of information resources and communication systems,
which is critical to ensuring the stable and safe operation of the aviation industry.</p>
      <p>Thus, the developed system for detecting and analyzing cyber threats using combined machine
learning models is a reliable solution for improving the level of cybersecurity in the information
and communication systems of civil aviation facilities. It combines high accuracy, adaptability, and
efficiency, making it an effective tool in the fight against modern cyber threats.</p>
      <p>Declaration on Generative AI
While preparing this work, the authors used the AI programs Grammarly Pro to correct text
grammar and Strike Plagiarism to search for possible plagiarism. After using this tool, the authors
reviewed and edited the content as needed and took full responsibility for the publication’s content.
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