A taxonomy framework for unsupervised outlier detection techniques for multi-type data sets

The term "outlier" can generally be defined as an observation that is significantly different from the other values in a data set. The outliers may be instances of error or indicate events. The task of outlier detection aims at identifying such outliers in order to improve the analysis of data and further discover interesting and useful knowledge about unusual events within numerous applications domains. In this paper, we report on contemporary unsupervised outlier detection techniques for multiple types of data sets and provide a comprehensive taxonomy framework and two decision trees to select the most suitable technique based on data set. Furthermore, we highlight the advantages, disadvantages and performance issues of each class of outlier detection techniques under this taxonomy framework

Temporally adaptive monitoring procedures with applications in enterprise cyber-security

Due to the perpetual threat of cyber-attacks, enterprises must employ and develop new methods of detection as attack vectors evolve and advance. Enterprise computer networks produce a large volume and variety of data including univariate data streams, time series and network graph streams. Motivated by cyber-security, this thesis develops adaptive monitoring tools for univariate and network graph data streams, however, they are not limited to this domain. In all domains, real data streams present several challenges for monitoring including trend, periodicity and change points. Streams often also have high volume and frequency. To deal with the non-stationarity in the data, the methods applied must be adaptive. Adaptability in the proposed procedures throughout the thesis is introduced using forgetting factors, weighting the data accordingly to recency. Secondly, methods applied must be computationally fast with a small or fixed computation burden and fixed storage requirements for timely processing. Throughout this thesis, sequential or sliding window approaches are employed to achieve this. The first part of the thesis is centred around univariate monitoring procedures. A sequential adaptive parameter estimator is proposed using a Bayesian framework. This procedure is then extended for multiple change point detection, where, unlike existing change point procedures, the proposed method is capable of detecting abrupt changes in the presence of trend. We additionally present a time series model which combines short-term and long-term behaviours of a series for improved anomaly detection. Unlike existing methods which primarily focus on point anomalies detection (extreme outliers), our method is capable of also detecting contextual anomalies, when the data deviates from persistent patterns of the series such as seasonality. Finally, a novel multi-type relational clustering methodology is proposed. As multiple relations exist between the different entities within a network (computers, users and ports), multiple network graphs can be generated. We propose simultaneously clustering over all graphs to produce a single clustering for each entity using Non-Negative Matrix Tri-Factorisation. Through simplifications, the proposed procedure is fast and scalable for large network graphs. Additionally, this methodology is extended for graph streams. This thesis provides an assortment of tools for enterprise network monitoring with a focus on adaptability and scalability making them suitable for intrusion detection and situational awareness.Open Acces

AI for IT Operations (AIOps) on Cloud Platforms: Reviews, Opportunities and Challenges

Artificial Intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) aims to combine the power of AI with the big data generated by IT Operations processes, particularly in cloud infrastructures, to provide actionable insights with the primary goal of maximizing availability. There are a wide variety of problems to address, and multiple use-cases, where AI capabilities can be leveraged to enhance operational efficiency. Here we provide a review of the AIOps vision, trends challenges and opportunities, specifically focusing on the underlying AI techniques. We discuss in depth the key types of data emitted by IT Operations activities, the scale and challenges in analyzing them, and where they can be helpful. We categorize the key AIOps tasks as - incident detection, failure prediction, root cause analysis and automated actions. We discuss the problem formulation for each task, and then present a taxonomy of techniques to solve these problems. We also identify relatively under explored topics, especially those that could significantly benefit from advances in AI literature. We also provide insights into the trends in this field, and what are the key investment opportunities