From Detection to Decision: Transforming Cybersecurity with Deep Learning and Visual Analytics

Objectives: The persistent evolution of software vulnerabilities—spanning novel zero-day exploits to logic-level flaws—continues to challenge conventional cybersecurity mechanisms. Static rule-based scanners and opaque deep learning models often lack the precision and contextual understanding required for both accurate detection and analyst interpretability. This paper presents a hybrid framework for real-time vulnerability detection that improves both robustness and explainability. Methods: The framework integrates semantic encoding via Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERTs), structural analysis using Deep Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (DGCNNs), and lightweight prioritization through Kernel Extreme Learning Machines (KELMs). The architecture incorporates Minimum Intermediate Representation (MIR) learning to reduce false positives and fuses multi-modal data (source code, execution traces, textual metadata) for robust, scalable performance. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) visualizations—combining SHAP-based attributions and CVSS-aligned pair plots—serve as an analyst-facing interpretability layer. The framework is evaluated on benchmark datasets, including VulnDetect and the NIST Software Reference Library (NSRL, version 2024.12.1, used strictly as a benign baseline for false positive estimation). Results: Our evaluation reports that precision, recall, AUPRC, MCC, and calibration (ECE/Brier score) demonstrated improved robustness and reduced false positives compared to baselines. An internal interpretability validation was conducted to align SHAP/GNNExplainer outputs with known vulnerability features; formal usability testing with practitioners is left as future work. Conclusions: The framework, Designed with DevSecOps integration in mind, the system is packaged in containerized modules (Docker/Kubernetes) and outputs SIEM-compatible alerts, enabling potential compatibility with Splunk, GitLab CI/CD, and similar tools. While full enterprise deployment was not performed, these deployment-oriented design choices support scalability and practical adoption.