Internet attacks and intrusion detection system : A review of the literature

Purpose The paper addresses various cyber threats and their effects on the internet. A review of the literature on intrusion detection systems (IDSs) as a means of mitigating internet attacks is presented, and gaps in the research are identified. The purpose of this paper is to identify the limitations of the current research and presents future directions for intrusion/malware detection research. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a review of the research literature on IDSs, prior to identifying research gaps and limitations and suggesting future directions. Findings The popularity of the internet makes it vulnerable against various cyber-attacks. Ongoing research on intrusion detection methods aims to overcome the limitations of earlier approaches to internet security. However, findings from the literature review indicate a number of different limitations of existing techniques: poor accuracy, high detection time, and low flexibility in detecting zero-day attacks. Originality/value This paper provides a review of major issues in intrusion detection approaches. On the basis of a systematic and detailed review of the literature, various research limitations are discovered. Clear and concise directions for future research are provided.