Edinburgh Napier University

  In the dynamic field of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the networks are increasingly vulnerable to a diverse range of cyberattacks. This vulnerability necessitates the development of advanced intrusion detection systems (IDSs). Addressing this need, our research contributes to the existing cybersecurity literature by introducing an optimized Intrusion Detection System based on Deep Transfer Learning (DTL), specifically tailored for heterogeneous IIoT networks. Our framework employs a tri-layer architectural approach that synergistically integrates Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Genetic Algorithms (GA), and bootstrap aggregation ensemble techniques. The methodology is executed in three critical stages: First, we convert a state-of-the-art cybersecurity dataset, Edge_IIoTset, into image data, thereby facilitating CNN-based analytics. Second, GA is utilized to fine-tune the hyperparameters of each base learning model, enhancing the model’s adaptability and performance. Finally, the outputs of the top-performing models are amalgamated using ensemble techniques, bolstering the robustness of the IDS. Through rigorous evaluation protocols, our framework demonstrated exceptional performance, reliably achieving a 100% attack detection accuracy rate. This result establishes our framework as highly effective against 14 distinct types of cyberattacks. The findings bear significant implications for the ongoing development of secure, efficient, and adaptive IDS solutions in the complex landscape of IIoT networks.