An Integrated Framework for Digital Forensics: Linking Email, URL, and Network Analysis for Cyber Investigations using Artificial Intelligence

Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Application with Noise (DBSCAN) is a well-known, unsupervised machine learning tool for clustering. DBSCAN creates clusters based on dense regions while marking points that lie alone in low-density regions as outliers. In DBSCAN, the density is detected via core points which are quite sensitive to input parameters: ϵ is radius of the neighborhood and MinPts is minimum number of points constraint within ϵ radius. In contrast to crisp core point definition, intuitionistic fuzzy core point definition makes DBSCAN algorithm capable to detect different patterns of density by two different combinations of input parameters. In this study, a DBSCAN extension is proposed based on this idea: IFDBSCAN. The proposed extension is then illustrated by a computational experiment on a synthetic dataset. Results show that, IFDBSCAN can establish fine-tuned clusters relatively to classical DBSCAN and provide users more insight on the estimation of input parameters.

PurposeRecent investigations failed to reproduce the positive rotor-guided ablation outcomes shown by initial studies for treating persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF). Phase singularity (PS) is an important feature for AF driver detection, but algorithms for automated PS identification differ. We aim to investigate the performance of four different techniques for automated PS detection.Methods2048-channel virtual electrogram (VEGM) and electrocardiogram signals were collected for 30 s from 10 patients undergoing persAF ablation. QRST-subtraction was performed and VEGMs were processed using sinusoidal wavelet reconstruction. The phase was obtained using Hilbert transform. PSs were detected using four algorithms: (1) 2D image processing based and neighbor-indexing algorithm; (2) 3D neighbor-indexing algorithm; (3) 2D kernel convolutional algorithm estimating topological charge; (4) topological charge estimation on 3D mesh. PS annotations were compared using the structural similarity index (SSIM) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (CORR). Optimized parameters to improve detection accuracy were found for all four algorithms using Fβ score and 10-fold cross-validation compared with manual annotation. Local clustering with density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) was proposed to improve algorithms 3 and 4.ResultsThe PS density maps created by each algorithm with default parameters were poorly correlated. Phase gradient threshold and search radius (or kernels) were shown to affect PS detections. The processing times for the algorithms were significantly different (p < 0.0001). The Fβ scores for algorithms 1, 2, 3, 3 + DBSCAN, 4 and 4 + DBSCAN were 0.547, 0.645, 0.742, 0.828, 0.656, and 0.831. Algorithm 4 + DBSCAN achieved the best classification performance with acceptable processing time (2.0 ± 0.3 s).ConclusionAF driver identification is dependent on the PS detection algorithms and their parameters, which could explain some of the inconsistencies in rotor-guided ablation outcomes in different studies. For 3D triangulated meshes, algorithm 4 + DBSCAN with optimal parameters was the best solution for real-time, automated PS detection due to accuracy and speed. Similarly, algorithm 3 + DBSCAN with optimal parameters is preferred for uniform 2D meshes. Such algorithms – and parameters – should be preferred in future clinical studies for identifying AF drivers and minimizing methodological heterogeneities. This would facilitate comparisons in rotor-guided ablation outcomes in future works.

Background: This study focuses on the latest knowledge regarding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a current central issue. These enterprises have shown their significance in providing employment opportunities and contributing to the country’s economy. However, MSMEs face various challenges that must be addressed to optimize their outcomes. Understanding the characteristics of this group was crucial in formulating effective strategies. Objective: This study proposed to cluster or combine micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) data in a particular area based on asset value and turnover. As a result, this study aimed to gain insights into the MSME landscape in the area and provided valuable information for decision-makers and stakeholders. Methods: This study utilized two methods, namely the DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) method and the K-Means method. These methods were chosen for their distinct capabilities. DBSCAN was selected for its ability to handle noisy data and identify clusters with diverse forms, while K-Means was chosen for its popularity and ability to group data based on proximity. The study used a dataset containing MSME information, including asset values and turnover, collected from various sources. Results: The outcomes encompassed identifying clusters of MSMEs based on their closeness in the feature space within a specific region. Optimizing the clustering outcomes involved modifying algorithm parameters like epsilon and minimum points for DBSCAN and the number of clusters for K-Means. Furthermore, this study attained a deeper understanding of the arrangement and characteristics of MSME clusters in the region through a comparative analysis of the two methodologies. Conclusion: This study offered perspectives on clustering MSMEs based on asset value and turnover in a specific region. Employing DBSCAN and K-Means methodologies allowed researchers to depict the MSME landscape and grasp the business attributes of these enterprises. These results could aid in decision-making and strategic planning concerning the advancement of the MSME sector in the mentioned area. Future study may investigate supplementary factors and variables to deepen comprehension of MSME clusters and promote regional growth and sustainability. Keywords: Asset Value, Clustering, DBSCAN, K-Means, Turnover

Currently, the risk of network information insecurity is increasing rapidly in number and level of danger. The methods mostly used by hackers today is to attack end-to-end technology and exploit human vulnerabilities. These techniques include social engineering, phishing, pharming, etc. One of the steps in conducting these attacks is to deceive users with malicious Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). As a results, malicious URL detection is of great interest nowadays. There have been several scientific studies showing a number of methods to detect malicious URLs based on machine learning and deep learning techniques. In this paper, we propose a malicious URL detection method using machine learning techniques based on our proposed URL behaviors and attributes. Moreover, bigdata technology is also exploited to improve the capability of detection malicious URLs based on abnormal behaviors. In short, the proposed detection system consists of a new set of URLs features and behaviors, a machine learning algorithm, and a bigdata technology. The experimental results show that the proposed URL attributes and behavior can help improve the ability to detect malicious URL significantly. This is suggested that the proposed system may be considered as an optimized and friendly used solution for malicious URL detection.

The density based notion for clustering approach is used widely due to its easy implementation and ability to detect arbitrary shaped clusters in the presence of noisy data points without requiring prior knowledge of the number of clusters to be identified. Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is the first algorithm proposed in the literature that uses density based notion for cluster detection. Since most of the real data set, today contains feature space of adjacent nested clusters, clearly DBSCAN is not suitable to detect variable adjacent density clusters due to the use of global density parameter neighborhood radius Nrad and minimum number of points in neighborhood Npts. So the efficiency of DBSCAN depends on these initial parameter settings, for DBSCAN to work properly, the neighborhood radius must be less than the distance between two clusters otherwise algorithm merges two clusters and detects them as a single cluster. Through this paper: 1) We have proposed improved version of DBSCAN algorithm to detect clusters of varying density adjacent clusters by using the concept of neighborhood difference and using the notion of density based approach without introducing much additional computational complexity to original DBSCAN algorithm. 2) We validated our experimental results using one of our authors recently proposed space density indexing (SDI) internal cluster measure to demonstrate the quality of proposed clustering method. Also our experimental results suggested that proposed method is effective in detecting variable density adjacent nested clusters.

A method of two-stage clustering learning based on improved DBSCAN and density peak algorithm

An efficient and scalable density-based clustering algorithm for datasets with complex structures

This study aims to objectively analyze the feasibility of prospective recipients of the Smart Indonesia Card Scholarship (KIP-K) by integrating the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The research dataset consists of 287 data on prospective scholarship recipients with 11 main attributes that reflect the socio-economic and academic conditions of students. The research process includes data collection, pre-processing, transformation of categorical attributes into numerical values using a linear weighting scheme, cluster analysis using DBSCAN, and candidate ranking using TOPSIS. DBSCAN is used to identify cluster patterns and detect anomalies in the data of potential recipients, while TOPSIS is used to rank candidates based on proximity to the ideal solution. The results of the grouping produced 10 clusters and one noise cluster that showed a variety of socio-economic characteristics of prospective scholarship recipients. The results of the ranking show that some of the candidates with the highest TOPSIS scores come from clusters with higher levels of economic vulnerability. In addition, some of the high-scoring candidates also came from the noise cluster, indicating that even though they did not belong to a particular group, they still met the eligibility criteria based on a multi-criteria evaluation. These findings show that the combination of DBSCAN and TOPSIS has the potential to support the process of analyzing the eligibility of scholarship recipients in a more systematic and data-driven manner.

Image segmentation is the process to divide a digital image into a number of regions for further usage. Color images can be segmented by applying density-based clustering methods, e.g. Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), which is used to identify the arbitrary shaped clusters. The drawback of DBSCAN is the high computational complexity whilst the size of image input is normally very large. Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is a dimensionality reduction method which can be applied to reduce the dimensions of image processing tasks. This paper proposes a hybrid method of SOM and DBSCAN (SOM-DBSCAN) for image segmentation. To evaluating the usability of the proposed SOM-DBSCAN method, four images are used to benchmark image segmentation.

Lane-level road information is especially crucial now that high-precision navigation maps are in more demand. Road information may be obtained rapidly and affordably by mining floating vehicle data (FCD). A method is proposed to extract the number of lanes on urban roads by combining deep learning and low-frequency FCD. Initially, the FCD is cleaned using the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) clustering technique. Then, the FCD is split into three categories based on the typical urban road types: one-way one-lane, one-way two-lane, and one-way three-lane, and the deep learning sample data is created using segmentation, rotation, and gridding. Lastly, the number of urban road lanes is obtained by training and predicting the sample data using the LeNet-5 model. The number of urban road lanes was effectively identified from the low-frequency FCD with a detection accuracy of 92.7% through the cleaning and classification of Wuhan FCD. Urban roads can be efficiently covered by the FCD on a regular basis, and lane information can be efficiently collected using deep learning techniques. This method can be used to generate and update lane number information for high-precision navigation maps.

BackgroundAdolescent suicides are more likely to form clusters than those of other age groups. However, the definition of a cluster in the space–time dimension has not been established, neither are the factors contributing to it well known. Therefore, this study aimed to identify space–time clusters in adolescent suicides in Korea and to examine the differences between clustered and non-clustered cases using novel statistical methods.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2020, the dates and locations, including specific addresses from which the latitude and longitude of all student suicides (aged 9–18 years) in Korea were obtained through student suicide reports. Sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents who died by suicide were collected, and the individual characteristics of each student who died by suicide were reported by teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) analysis was used to assess the clustering of suicides.ResultsWe identified 23 clusters through the data analysis of 652 adolescent suicides using DBSCAN. By comparing the size of each cluster, we identified 63 (9.7%) spatiotemporally clustered suicides among adolescents, and the temporal range of these clusters was 7–59 days. The suicide cluster group had a lower economic status than the non-clustered group. There were no significant differences in other characteristics between the two groups.ConclusionThis study has defined the space–time cluster of suicides using a novel statistical method. Our findings suggest that when an adolescent suicide occurs, close monitoring and intervention for approximately 2 months are needed to prevent subsequent suicides. Future research using DBSCAN needs to involve a larger sample of adolescents from various countries to further corroborate these findings.

Unsupervised machine learning and especially unshaped clustering approaches like Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) remain at the center of researchers’ attention. Many DBSCAN improvements have been recently proposed, but none of them involve the data heterogeneity that we may find in real-life problems. To tackle this issue, in this paper, a novel DBSCAN-based approach is proposed and applied to real data of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in order to cluster the COVID-19 calls based on hospitals distribution for the resolution of the ambulances dispatching problem and COVID-19 emergency calls covering. The designed approach is called Heterogeneous DBSCAN (HDBSCAN). It considers different data types: Statically distributed hospitals over Saudi Arabia and dynamic COVID-19 incoming calls. The experiments show that the proposed HDBSCAN greatly speeds up the original DBSCAN and provides an efficient classification for the application problem.KeywordsHeterogeneous dataReal-time clusteringHeterogeneous DBSCANDBSCANEmergency callsSaudi Arabia COVID-19

Coherent fiber-optic communication systems are limited by the Kerr-induced nonlinearity. Benchmark optical and digital nonlinearity compensation techniques are typically complex and tackle deterministic-induced nonlinearities. However, these techniques ignore the impact of stochastic nonlinear distortions in the network, such as the interaction of fiber nonlinearity with amplified spontaneous emission from optical amplification. Unsupervised machine learning clustering (e.g., K-means) has recently been proposed as a practical approach to the blind compensation of stochastic and deterministic nonlinear distortions. In this work, the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm is employed, for the first time, for blind nonlinearity compensation. DBSCAN is tested experimentally in a 40 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude-modulated system at 50 km of standard single-mode fiber transmission. It is shown that at high launched optical powers, DBSCAN can offer up to 0.83 and 8.84 dB enhancement in Q-factor when compared to conventional K-means clustering and linear equalisation, respectively.

The aim of the current research is to compare the data clustering techniques for the geometrical feature extraction. The CAD models of the geometries are sliced to generate the data sets for clustering. This paper presents the comparison of K-means, Spectral, Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) and Single Linkage Hierarchical (SLH) clustering techniques for arbitrary shaped contour clustering and formation of the groups based on the means of the contours. The factors considered for the comparison include, the inputs desired by the clustering techniques; time taken for contour clustering; ability to identify the arbitrary shaped contours; and the ability to form the features in feature-based toolpath generation in dieless manufacturing. The paper discusses three different approaches designed to accomplish the task. From the comparative analysis, it is found that the Spectral, DBSCAN and SLH can identify the arbitrary shaped contours. Further, DBSCAN and SLH clustering techniques can form the groups that can be used for feature-based toolpath generation in dieless manufacturing, whereas the other two fails to perform the same. The DBSCAN performs the contour clustering faster than the Spectral and SLH clustering.

As a kind of widely used switchgear in power system, the reliability of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) is very important for the safe operation of power systems. However, there is a lack of research on intelligent detection technology of mechanical state of GIS at present. A new method is urgently needed to improve the operability, effectiveness, and accuracy of fault detection in GIS. Aiming at the abnormal vibration signals generated by GIS faults, this article presents a fault diagnosis method (GA-DBSCAN) consisting of a feature selection method based on genetic algorithm (GA) and Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), and a fault diagnosis method based on DBSCAN. First, this article analyzes the incentive force of GIS and discusses the characteristic frequency of response signal combining with the non-linear characteristics of a GIS system. Second, GA and DBSCAN are used to screen features for dimension reduction and get the optimized feature space, and DBSCAN-based classification is used to classify faults. Finally, optimized feature space is verified to be superior to the original feature space by typical classification method; the superiority and reliability of DBSCAN-based classification method under optimized feature space is verified by comparing with other classification methods. The proposed GA-DBSCAN approach can substantially increase the performance of the fault diagnosis method, which indicates that the method promotes development of intelligent detection technology of mechanical state in GIS.