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Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

🧠 Project Overview

This project is a lightweight Intrusion Detection System (IDS) that I built as a proof-of-concept for real-time threat detection.
It focuses on network visibility, signature-based detection, and incident logging, all implemented from scratch in Python.

The goal was to understand how detection engines work under the hood — from packet capture to alert correlation — and to demonstrate practical skills in threat analysis, network monitoring, and rule-driven security automation.

🔍 Key Features

  • Rule-Based Detection: YAML-driven rules make it easy to define new attack patterns (e.g., SQLi, XSS).
  • Real-Time Alerts: Suspicious packets trigger instant alerts stored in ids_alerts.log.
  • Traffic Replay & Simulation: Built-in tools for generating and replaying PCAP files for realistic testing.
  • Modular Design: Clear separation between the detection engine, utilities, and configuration files for scalability.

🧰 Tech Stack

  • Language: Python
  • Libraries: Scapy / PyShark, YAML, Logging
  • Environment: Linux / macOS
  • Testing Tools: tcpreplay, custom PCAP generator

💼 What I Learned

Building this IDS helped me: - Understand how intrusion detection engines work internally.
- Write modular, testable Python code for cybersecurity use cases.
- Develop and tune detection rules to minimize false positives.
- Gain experience with packet analysis and log correlation — critical for cyber analyst roles.

⚡ Example Workflow

  1. Define attack signatures in config/rules.yaml.
  2. Run the IDS on a live interface (eth0 or wlan0).
  3. Replay traffic or monitor real packets.
  4. Review alerts in logs/ids_alerts.log to identify anomalies.