Open Access
ARTICLE
Threshold-Based Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Solution for Healthcare Systems against Intrusion Attacks
Laila M. Halman, Mohammed J. F. Alenazi*
Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
* Corresponding Author: Mohammed J. F. Alenazi. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Smart and Secure Solutions for Medical Industry)
Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2024, 138(2), 1469-1483. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2023.028077
Received 29 November 2022; Accepted 09 June 2023; Issue published 17 November 2023
Abstract
The healthcare sector holds valuable and sensitive data. The amount of this data and the need to handle, exchange,
and protect it, has been increasing at a fast pace. Due to their nature, software-defined networks (SDNs) are widely
used in healthcare systems, as they ensure effective resource utilization, safety, great network management, and
monitoring. In this sector, due to the value of the data, SDNs face a major challenge posed by a wide range of attacks,
such as distributed denial of service (DDoS) and probe attacks. These attacks reduce network performance, causing
the degradation of different key performance indicators (KPIs) or, in the worst cases, a network failure which can
threaten human lives. This can be significant, especially with the current expansion of portable healthcare that
supports mobile and wireless devices for what is called mobile health, or m-health. In this study, we examine the
effectiveness of using SDNs for defense against DDoS, as well as their effects on different network KPIs under various
scenarios. We propose a threshold-based DDoS classifier (TBDC) technique to classify DDoS attacks in healthcare
SDNs, aiming to block traffic considered a hazard in the form of a DDoS attack. We then evaluate the accuracy
and performance of the proposed TBDC approach. Our technique shows outstanding performance, increasing the
mean throughput by 190.3%, reducing the mean delay by 95%, and reducing packet loss by 99.7% relative to normal,
with DDoS attack traffic.
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
Cite This Article
APA Style
Halman, L.M., Alenazi, M.J.F. (2024). Threshold-based software-defined networking (SDN) solution for healthcare systems against intrusion attacks. Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, 138(2), 1469-1483. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2023.028077
Vancouver Style
Halman LM, Alenazi MJF. Threshold-based software-defined networking (SDN) solution for healthcare systems against intrusion attacks. Comput Model Eng Sci. 2024;138(2):1469-1483 https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2023.028077
IEEE Style
L.M. Halman and M.J.F. Alenazi, "Threshold-Based Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Solution for Healthcare Systems against Intrusion Attacks," Comput. Model. Eng. Sci., vol. 138, no. 2, pp. 1469-1483. 2024. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2023.028077