Adaptive Cyber Defense using Advanced Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms: A Real-Time Comparative Analysis

Cybersecurity is continuously challenged by increasingly sophisticated and dynamic cyber-attacks, necessitating advanced adaptive defense mechanisms. Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has emerged as a promising approach, offering significant advantages over traditional intrusion detection methods through real-time adaptability and self-learning capabilities. This paper presents an advanced adaptive cybersecurity framework utilizing five prominent DRL algorithms: Deep Q-Network (DQN), Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), Twin Delayed DDPG (TD3), Soft Actor-Critic (SAC), and Asynchronous Advantage Actor-Critic (A3C). The effectiveness of these algorithms is evaluated within complex, realistic simulation environments using live-streaming data, emphasizing key metrics such as accuracy (AUC-ROC), response latency, and network throughput. Experimental results demonstrate that the SAC algorithm consistently achieves superior detection accuracy (95% AUC-ROC) and minimal disruption to network performance compared to other approaches. Additionally, A3C provides the fastest response times suitable for real-time defense scenarios. This comprehensive comparative analysis addresses critical research gaps by integrating both traditional and novel DRL techniques and validates their potential to substantially improve cybersecurity defense strategies in realistic operational settings.