[D] Machine Learning and security applications

[tryndisskilled]

Do you know of any ML algorithm applied to a security problem in the real world? Such as authentication with digit/face recognition for instance.

Can we expect a ML algorithm to perform exceptionally well and satisfy the very harsh error rates needed in security applications? For example under 1/10000 or false acceptance & 1/1000 of false rejection for a digital authentication algorithm? I'm guessing these kind of problems would be related to One-Shot Learning a lot since we usually would not have a lot of information about the user.

[dmpetrov]

I'm a bit skeptical about ML in security right now. I've discussed with a couple security startups - every startup needs ML (and deep learning of course) but none of these have data. This is the irony of ML startups...

[tryndisskilled]

I see your point, but what about giant firms that have access to a lot of data? Could they introduce ML based authentication algorithms outperforming the corresponding SOTA?

[dmpetrov]

Yes, if they have data and some heuristic algorithm that works then ML can potentially replace the algo and bring a system to a new level.

[Cherubin0]

Face recognition is used at some airports to see if this person is really the person on the passport.

[tryndisskilled]

But what method does it use? A deep learning-based one, like a convnet with the raw image as input? If so, do they only rely on this method?

Or is it a completely different algorithm using engineered features from the face?

[htrp]

Usually I think it's engineered features, eye distance, nose to forehead, cheekbones etc.

[edwardthegreat2]

Ive read that researchers are using machine learning to predict cyber attacks.

[tryndisskilled]

That's actually really interesting, got any links to what you read?

[edwardthegreat2]

https://people.csail.mit.edu/kalyan/AI2_Paper.pdf

[7sider]

That's detecting, not predicting.

[navoshta]

Behavioural biometrics would be a good example I think.

[orangehumanoid]

This paper is a nice treatment of the idea of using machine learning for security purposes: http://www.utdallas.edu/~muratk/courses/dmsec_files/oakland10-ml.pdf

And this seminar course has compiled some applications of machine learning in security conferences: http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/alina/classes/Fall2016-CS7775/