Danping Niu¹, Yuan Ping^1,*, Chun Guo², Xiaojun Wang³, Bin Hao⁴

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.073630 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With the increasing complexity of malware attack techniques, traditional detection methods face significant challenges, such as privacy preservation, data heterogeneity, and lacking category information. To address these issues, we propose Federated Dynamic Prototype Learning (FedDPL) for malware classification by integrating Federated Learning with a specifically designed K-means. Under the Federated Learning framework, model training occurs locally without data sharing, effectively protecting user data privacy and preventing the leakage of sensitive information. Furthermore, to tackle the challenges of data heterogeneity and the lack of category information, FedDPL introduces a dynamic prototype learning mechanism, which adaptively adjusts the More >

Faisal Mahmud¹, Fahim Mahmud², Rashedur M. Rahman^1,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.073519 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Federated Learning (FL) has become a leading decentralized solution that enables multiple clients to train a model in a collaborative environment without directly sharing raw data, making it suitable for privacy-sensitive applications such as healthcare, finance, and smart systems. As the field continues to evolve, the research field has become more complex and scattered, covering different system designs, training methods, and privacy techniques. This survey is organized around the three core challenges: how the data is distributed, how models are synchronized, and how to defend against attacks. It provides a structured and up-to-date review of… More >

Hang Wen^1,2, Kai Zeng^1,2,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072909 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Federated learning often experiences slow and unstable convergence due to edge-side data heterogeneity. This problem becomes more severe when edge participation rate is low, as the information collected from different edge devices varies significantly. As a result, communication overhead increases, which further slows down the convergence process. To address this challenge, we propose a simple yet effective federated learning framework that improves consistency among edge devices. The core idea is clusters the lookahead gradients collected from edge devices on the cloud server to obtain personalized momentum for steering local updates. In parallel, a global momentum… More > Graphic Abstract

Sushruta Mishra¹, Sunil Kumar Mohapatra², Kshira Sagar Sahoo³, Anand Nayyar⁴, Tae-Kyung Kim^5,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072493 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With an increase in internet-connected devices and a dependency on online services, the threat of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks has become a significant concern in cybersecurity. The proposed system follows a multi-step process, beginning with the collection of datasets from different edge devices and network nodes. To verify its effectiveness, experiments were conducted using the CICDoS2017, NSL-KDD, and CICIDS benchmark datasets alongside other existing models. Recursive feature elimination (RFE) with random forest is used to select features from the CICDDoS2019 dataset, on which a BiLSTM model is trained on local nodes. Local models… More >

Bello Musa Yakubu^1,*, Nor Shahida Mohd Jamail ², Rabia Latif ², Seemab Latif ³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072426 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Federated Learning (FL) enables joint training over distributed devices without data exchange but is highly vulnerable to attacks by adversaries in the form of model poisoning and malicious update injection. This work proposes Secured-FL, a blockchain-based defensive framework that combines smart contract–based authentication, clustering-driven outlier elimination, and dynamic threshold adjustment to defend against adversarial attacks. The framework was implemented on a private Ethereum network with a Proof-of-Authority consensus algorithm to ensure tamper-resistant and auditable model updates. Large-scale simulation on the Cyber Data dataset, under up to 50% malicious client settings, demonstrates Secured-FL achieves 6%–12% higher accuracy, More >

Yuewei Tian¹, Yang Su², Yujia Wang¹, Lisa Guo¹, Xuyang Wu^3,*, Lei Cao⁴, Fang Ren³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072081 - 12 January 2026

Abstract This study addresses the risk of privacy leakage during the transmission and sharing of multimodal data in smart grid substations by proposing a three-tier privacy-preserving architecture based on asynchronous federated learning. The framework integrates blockchain technology, the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for distributed storage, and a dynamic differential privacy mechanism to achieve collaborative security across the storage, service, and federated coordination layers. It accommodates both multimodal data classification and object detection tasks, enabling the identification and localization of key targets and abnormal behaviors in substation scenarios while ensuring privacy protection. This effectively mitigates the single-point… More >

Hongwei Wu^*, Guojian Li, Hanyun Zhang, Zi Ye, Chao Ma

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.071008 - 12 January 2026

Abstract Federated Learning (FL) protects data privacy through a distributed training mechanism, yet its decentralized nature also introduces new security vulnerabilities. Backdoor attacks inject malicious triggers into the global model through compromised updates, posing significant threats to model integrity and becoming a key focus in FL security. Existing backdoor attack methods typically embed triggers directly into original images and consider only data heterogeneity, resulting in limited stealth and adaptability. To address the heterogeneity of malicious client devices, this paper proposes a novel backdoor attack method named Capability-Adaptive Shadow Backdoor Attack (CASBA). By incorporating measurements of clients’… More >

Muhammad Asim^1,*, Abdelhamied A. Ateya¹, Mudasir Ahmad Wani^1,2, Gauhar Ali¹, Mohammed ElAffendi¹, Ahmed A. Abd El-Latif¹, Reshma Siyal³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.070684 - 12 January 2026

Abstract The growing developments in 5G and 6G wireless communications have revolutionized communications technologies, providing faster speeds with reduced latency and improved connectivity to users. However, it raises significant security challenges, including impersonation threats, data manipulation, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and privacy breaches. Traditional security measures are inadequate due to the decentralized and dynamic nature of next-generation networks. This survey provides a comprehensive review of how Federated Learning (FL), Blockchain, and Digital Twin (DT) technologies can collectively enhance the security of 5G and 6G systems. Blockchain offers decentralized, immutable, and transparent mechanisms for securing More >

Samuel Acheme^*, Glory Nosawaru Edegbe

Journal of Cyber Security, Vol.8, pp. 1-31, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jcs.2026.073923 - 07 January 2026

Abstract Federated learning (FL) enables collaborative model training across decentralized datasets, thus maintaining the privacy of training data. However, FL remains vulnerable to malicious actors, posing significant risks in privacy-sensitive domains like healthcare. Previous machine learning trust frameworks, while promising, often rely on resource-intensive blockchain ledgers, introducing computational overhead and metadata leakage risks. To address these limitations, this study presents a novel Decentralized Identity (DID) framework for mutual authentication that establishes verifiable trust among participants in FL without dependence on centralized authorities or high-cost blockchain ledgers. The proposed system leverages Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials… More >

Meenakshi Aggarwal¹, Vikas Khullar^2,*, Nitin Goyal³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.2, pp. 1-31, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072673 - 09 December 2025

Abstract The Internet of Vehicles, or IoV, is expected to lessen pollution, ease traffic, and increase road safety. IoV entities’ interconnectedness, however, raises the possibility of cyberattacks, which can have detrimental effects. IoV systems typically send massive volumes of raw data to central servers, which may raise privacy issues. Additionally, model training on IoV devices with limited resources normally leads to slower training times and reduced service quality. We discuss a privacy-preserving Federated Split Learning with Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) approach, which operates on IoV edge devices without sharing sensitive raw data. Specifically, we focus on… More >