Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction

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https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI

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Volume 10 , Issue 2 , PP: 01-11, 2025 | Cite this article as | XML | Html | PDF | Full Length Article

An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities

Santhiyakumari N. 1 * , Sabarinathan S. 2 , Veerakumar S. 3 , Chandraman M. 4 , Kiruthika G. 5

  • 1 Professor, Department of ECE, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India - (dirrd@kiot.ac.in)
  • 2 Assistant Professor, Department of ECE, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India - ( ssnece@kiot.ac.in)
  • 3 Assistant Professor, Department of ECE, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India - (svkece@kiot.ac.in)
  • 4 Assistant Professor, Department of ECE, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India - (mcece@kiot.ac.in)
  • 5 PG Scholar, Department of ECE, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India - (2k22vlsi09@kiot.ac.in)
  • Doi: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201

    Received: June 28, 2025 Revised: August 14, 2025 Accepted: November 20, 2025
    Abstract

    The rapid proliferation of edge computing in smart cities has enhanced real-time data processing capabilities, but it has also exposed critical vulnerabilities to sophisticated cyber threats such as zero-day attacks. Traditional signature-based intrusion detection systems often fail to identify these previously unknown threats due to their lack of adaptive intelligence and interpretability. This research proposes an Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)-driven zero-day attack detection framework tailored for edge devices deployed in smart city environments. The proposed system combines deep anomaly detection using a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network–Long Short-Term Memory (CNN–LSTM) model with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations)-based interpretability to detect and explain anomalous behaviors in real-time network traffic. The model is trained on diverse datasets mimicking heterogeneous edge devices in smart infrastructures, ensuring robustness and scalability. Experimental results demonstrate high detection accuracy, low false-positive rates, and strong resilience against unseen attack patterns. Moreover, the integration of XAI components provides actionable insights to administrators, thereby enhancing trust, transparency, and decision-making in cybersecurity operations. This framework marks a significant step toward proactive and explainable security solutions for safeguarding smart urban ecosystems.

    Keywords :

    Explainable AI (XAI) , Zero-Day Attack Detection , Edge Computing , Smart Cities , CNN-LSTM , SHAP , Anomaly Detection , Cybersecurity , Intrusion Detection System (IDS) , Interpretable Deep Learning

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    Cite This Article As :
    N., Santhiyakumari. , S., Sabarinathan. , S., Veerakumar. , M., Chandraman. , G., Kiruthika. An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities. Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction, vol. , no. , 2025, pp. 01-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201
    N., S. S., S. S., V. M., C. G., K. (2025). An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities. Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction, (), 01-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201
    N., Santhiyakumari. S., Sabarinathan. S., Veerakumar. M., Chandraman. G., Kiruthika. An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities. Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction , no. (2025): 01-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201
    N., S. , S., S. , S., V. , M., C. , G., K. (2025) . An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities. Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction , () , 01-11 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201
    N. S. , S. S. , S. V. , M. C. , G. K. [2025]. An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities. Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction. (): 01-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201
    N., S. S., S. S., V. M., C. G., K. "An Explainable AI-Driven Zero-Day Attack Detection Framework for Securing Edge Devices in Smart Cities," Journal of Cognitive Human-Computer Interaction, vol. , no. , pp. 01-11, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54216/JCHCI.100201