Enhancing malware detection performance: leveraging K-Nearest Neighbors with Firefly Optimization Algorithm

Malware detection plays a crucial role in ensuring robust cybersecurity amidst the ever-evolving cyber threats. This research paper delves into the realm of machine learning (ML) algorithms for malware detection, with a specific emphasis on the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm, utilizing tailored parameter settings and the Firefly Optimization Algorithm (FOA). The study leverages the MalMem-2022 dataset to assess the efficacy of KNN and KNN with FOA in malware detection. The impact of parameter tuning and feature selection on classification is elucidated by comparing the performance of both approaches. Encouragingly, the results reveal promising advancements in one of the multiclass classification scenarios when employing KNN with FOA, yielding noteworthy enhancements in Accuracy, Recall, Precision, Matthews Correlation Coefficient, TNR, and F1-score by 2.65