ENHANCING NETWORK SECURITY THROUGH INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS AND BLOCKCHAIN INTEGRATION

Abstract

Network security is a critical concern for organizations, governments, and individuals due to the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. Traditional defense mechanisms, such as firewalls and antivirus software, are often insufficient to mitigate modern attacks, including malware, phishing, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are widely used to monitor network traffic and detect suspicious behavior; however, conventional IDS face challenges such as centralized management, vulnerability to tampering, and false positive rates. This research proposes a framework that integrates blockchain technology with IDS to enhance data integrity, decentralization, and reliability of network monitoring. The study evaluates the performance of the proposed system in a simulated network environment, measuring detection accuracy, false positives, and latency. Preliminary results indicate that blockchain-enhanced IDS improves log security and transparency without significantly increasing latency. This work demonstrates the potential of blockchain integration in network security and provides a roadmap for future deployment in high-traffic and cloud-based networks.