arXiv · 2601.17355
Safeguard: Security Controls at the Software Defined Network Layer
Abstract
Improvements in software defined networking allow for policy to be informed and modified by data-driven applications that can adjust policy to accommodate fluctuating requirements at line speed. However, there is some concern that over-correction can occur and cause unintended consequences depending on the data received. This is particularly problematic for network security features, such as machine-learning intrusion detection systems. We present Safeguard, a rule-based policy that overlaps a data-driven policy to prevent unintended responses for edge cases in network traffic. We develop a reference implementation of a network traffic classifier that enforces firewall rules for malicious traffic, and show how additional rulesets to allow known-good traffic are essential in utilizing a data-driven network policy.
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Yi Lyu, Shichun Yu, Joe Catudal. 2026-01-24. Safeguard: Security Controls at the Software Defined Network Layer. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.17355
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