Abstract: The growing prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has heightened vulnerabilities to botnet-based cyberattacks, necessitating robust detection mechanisms. This paper proposes DenseRSE-ASPPNet, an advanced deep learning framework for botnet detection, incorporating comprehensive preprocessing, feature extraction, and optimization. The preprocessing pipeline includes data cleaning and Min-Max normalization to ensure high-quality input data. The DenseNet169 backbone is enhanced with Residual Squeeze-and-Excitation (RSE) blocks for channel-wise attention recalibration and Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) for capturing multi-scale spatial patterns, enabling effective feature extraction. Hyperparameter optimization is performed using the Cyclone-Enhanced Humboldt Squid Optimization Algorithm (CE-HSOA), which balances global exploration and local exploitation, ensuring faster convergence and enhanced robustness. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed framework, achieving 99.00 per cent accuracy, 96.40 per cent sensitivity, and 99.95 per cent specificity, significantly minimizing false positives and false negatives. The proposed DenseRSE-ASPPNet provides an efficient, scalable, and effective solution for mitigating botnet threats in IoT environments.

Mohd Abdul Rahim Khan, “DenseRSE-ASPPNet: An Enhanced DenseNet169 with Residual Dense Blocks and CE-HSOA-Based Optimization for IoT Botnet Detection” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications(IJACSA), 16(4), 2025. http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160468

@article{Khan2025,
title = {DenseRSE-ASPPNet: An Enhanced DenseNet169 with Residual Dense Blocks and CE-HSOA-Based Optimization for IoT Botnet Detection},
journal = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
doi = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160468},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160468},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
author = {Mohd Abdul Rahim Khan}
}