SmartSecChain-SDN: A Blockchain-Integrated Intelligent Framework for Secure and Efficient Software-Defined Networks

TL;DR

SmartSecChain-SDN integrates machine learning, blockchain, and application-aware traffic management to enhance security, privacy, and efficiency in SDN networks, demonstrating real-time intrusion detection and prioritized traffic handling.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel framework combining ML-based intrusion detection, blockchain-secured log storage, and application-aware QoS management for SDN security and performance.

Findings

Effective real-time intrusion detection with low false positives

Secure, tamper-proof log storage using Hyperledger Fabric

Improved bandwidth allocation and traffic prioritization

Abstract

With more and more existing networks being transformed to Software-Defined Networking (SDN), they need to be more secure and demand smarter ways of traffic control. This work, SmartSecChain-SDN, is a platform that combines machine learning based intrusion detection, blockchain-based storage of logs, and application-awareness-based priority in SDN networks. To detect network intrusions in a real-time, precision and low-false positives setup, the framework utilizes the application of advanced machine learning algorithms, namely Random Forest, XGBoost, CatBoost, and CNN-BiLSTM. SmartSecChain-SDN is based on the Hyperledger Fabric, which is a permissioned blockchain technology, to provide secure, scalable, and privacy-preserving storage and, thus, guarantee that the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) records cannot be altered and can be analyzed comprehensively. The system also has Quality of Service (QoS) rules and traffic shaping based on applications, which enables prioritization of critical services, such as VoIP, video conferencing, and business applications, as well as de-prioritization of non-essential traffic, such as downloads and updates. Mininet can simulate real-time SDN scenarios because it is used to prototype whole architectures. It is also compatible with controllers OpenDaylight and Ryu. It has tested the framework using the InSDN dataset and proved that it can identify different kinds of cyberattacks and handle bandwidth allocation efficiently under circumstances of resource constraints. SmartSecChain-SDN comprehensively addresses SDN system protection, securing and enhancing. The proposed study offers an innovative, extensible way to improve cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and the administration of next-generation programmable networks.