Access to high-quality datasets is critical in cybersecurity research, training, and the creation of effective defence systems. These databases are goldmines of important information, allowing cybersecurity experts and researchers to study threats, uncover flaws, and improve security controls. In this study, we look at the top 12 datasets that are goldmines of cybersecurity information, offering insights into their qualities, applications, and significance in advancing the area of cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field, with new threats always appearing and current vulnerabilities becoming more sophisticated. To overcome these difficulties, cybersecurity professionals require access to large and diversified datasets that reflect real-world cyber threats and assaults. These datasets are excellent resources for a variety of applications, including machine learning model training, security solution evaluation, and threat intelligence research. In this study, we look at the top 12 datasets that are regarded as goldmines for cybersecurity initiatives, examining their characteristics, applications, and contributions to the evolution of cybersecurity methods.
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is a comprehensive archive for vulnerabilities discovered in software and hardware products. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages NVD, which offers specific information regarding vulnerabilities, such as severity, impact, and affected goods. Security professionals and researchers use NVD data for vulnerability evaluation, patch management, and threat intelligence analysis, making it a critical dataset in cybersecurity research and practice.
Website: https://nvd.nist.gov/
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
The CVE database is a standardised list of publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures. Each CVE entry includes a unique identification, a description, and links to relevant security alerts or patches. Security teams use CVE data to prioritise vulnerability remediation efforts, track security incidents, and gain a better understanding of new threats. With its global coverage and uniform format, CVE is an essential dataset for cybersecurity risk management and mitigation.
Website: https://cve.mitre.org/
- Cybersecurity Open Data Sharing (COSDS)
The Cybersecurity Open Data Sharing (COSDS) program promotes the exchange of cybersecurity-related datasets among researchers, practitioners, and organisations. COSDS houses a diverse collection of datasets pertaining to numerous elements of cybersecurity, such as network traffic analysis, malware classification, and incident response. COSDS encourages collaborative research, benchmarking, and the development of novel cybersecurity solutions by giving access to real-world data from a variety of sources.
- DARPA Cyber Dataset
The DARPA Cyber Dataset is a collection of network traffic data gathered during cybersecurity research and experimentation. The dataset comprises a variety of scenarios, including network invasions, denial-of-service attacks, and malware infections, all of which are intended to replicate real-world cybersecurity threats. The DARPA Cyber Dataset is used by security researchers and data scientists to test intrusion detection systems, examine attack patterns, and create machine learning algorithms for threat detection and response.
- KDD Cup Data
The Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (SIGKDD) organises the KDD Cup, an annual data mining competition. The competition datasets contain anonymised network traffic data from a variety of sources, including intrusion detection, network monitoring, and anomaly detection. Participants in the KDD Cup examine data to create prediction models, anomaly detection systems, and other data-driven solutions to cybersecurity problems.
- CICIDS 2017 Dataset
The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC) Intrusion Detection Evaluation Dataset (CICIDS) 2017 is a freely accessible dataset for assessing intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS). The dataset contains network traffic data collected in a realistic network environment with a variety of attack scenarios, including DDoS attacks, port scans, and malware infections. CICIDS 2017 is used by security researchers to benchmark IDS/IPS products’ performance, assess their robustness against known attacks, and create novel detection methodologies.
- UNSW-NB15 Dataset
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Network-Based Intrusion Detection Evaluation (UNSW-NB15) dataset contains labelled data for network intrusion detection research. It provides network traffic data collected in a controlled environment and includes several attack types such as reconnaissance, denial-of-service, and exploitation. UNSW-NB15 is used by security researchers to assess the effectiveness of intrusion detection algorithms, test anomaly detection strategies, and investigate the behaviour of various network attacks.
- ISCX VPN-nonVPN Dataset
The ISCX VPN-nonVPN dataset contains network traffic statistics collected from both a virtual private network (VPN) and non-VPN environments. The collection comprises benign traffic, VPN traffic, and malicious traffic resulting from various sorts of assaults, such as malware infections and network scanning. Security analysts and researchers utilise the ISCX dataset to investigate VPN traffic characteristics, detect VPN-based attacks, and devise countermeasures to defend VPN infrastructures from security risks.
- CSE-CIC-IDS2018 Dataset
The CSIA Research Group Intrusion Detection System (IDS) Evaluation Dataset (CSE-CIC-IDS2018) is a labelled dataset used to evaluate network intrusion detection systems (NIDS). It features network traffic data gathered from a genuine enterprise network environment and includes a variety of attack scenarios such as botnet activity, SQL injection, and phishing. The CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset is used by security researchers to benchmark NIDS solution performance, investigate attack patterns, and improve threat detection machine learning models.
- CERT Insider Threat Dataset
The CERT Insider Threat Dataset is a collection of data that depicts insider threat situations in enterprise environments. The dataset, compiled by the CERT Division of Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI), contains logs, warnings, and other forensic data linked to insider threat incidents. The CERT Insider Threat Dataset is used by security analysts and researchers to investigate insider threat behaviours, discover signs of malicious insider activity, and create detection and response tactics to minimise insider threats.
- Malware Traffic Analysis Dataset (MTAD)
The Malware Traffic Analysis Dataset (MTAD) is a collection of network traffic data gathered from actual malware infections and cyber attacks. The dataset includes packet captures, HTTP requests, and DNS queries linked to known malware families and harmful behaviours. Security researchers employ MTAD to study malware activity, discover network-based indicators of compromise (IOCs), and create detection signatures for malware detection and prevention systems.
- Bot-IoT Dataset
The Bot-IoT dataset is a collection of network traffic data that depicts IoT (Internet of Things) device communication patterns and behaviours. Researchers at the University of Twente compiled the dataset, which contains traffic recordings from a variety of IoT devices such as cameras, routers, and smart home appliances. Security analysts and researchers utilise the Bot-IoT dataset to investigate IoT device vulnerabilities, detect IoT-based attacks, and create security solutions to defend IoT ecosystems from cyber threats.
Finally, having access to high-quality datasets is critical for furthering cybersecurity research, training, and innovation. The top 12 datasets featured in this study are goldmines of important information, allowing cybersecurity professionals and academics to properly assess threats, uncover vulnerabilities, and improve security controls. From comprehensive vulnerability libraries like NVD and CVE to specific datasets for evaluating intrusion detection systems like CICIDS 2017 and UNSW-NB15, these datasets serve a wide range of cybersecurity use cases and research topics. By incorporating these datasets into their projects and initiatives, cybersecurity practitioners and researchers can obtain vital insights into new threats, build effective defence mechanisms, and contribute to the global effort to safeguard cyberspace.