Research Article

Machine Learning-Based Cybercrime Detection: A Random Forest Modeling and Performance Study

by  Dharmraj Kumar Vitragi, Lalan Kumar Singh
journal cover
International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 187 - Issue 92
Published: March 2026
Authors: Dharmraj Kumar Vitragi, Lalan Kumar Singh
10.5120/ijca2026926582
PDF

Dharmraj Kumar Vitragi, Lalan Kumar Singh . Machine Learning-Based Cybercrime Detection: A Random Forest Modeling and Performance Study. International Journal of Computer Applications. 187, 92 (March 2026), 40-45. DOI=10.5120/ijca2026926582

                        @article{ 10.5120/ijca2026926582,
                        author  = { Dharmraj Kumar Vitragi,Lalan Kumar Singh },
                        title   = { Machine Learning-Based Cybercrime Detection: A Random Forest Modeling and Performance Study },
                        journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
                        year    = { 2026 },
                        volume  = { 187 },
                        number  = { 92 },
                        pages   = { 40-45 },
                        doi     = { 10.5120/ijca2026926582 },
                        publisher = { Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA }
                        }
                        %0 Journal Article
                        %D 2026
                        %A Dharmraj Kumar Vitragi
                        %A Lalan Kumar Singh
                        %T Machine Learning-Based Cybercrime Detection: A Random Forest Modeling and Performance Study%T 
                        %J International Journal of Computer Applications
                        %V 187
                        %N 92
                        %P 40-45
                        %R 10.5120/ijca2026926582
                        %I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

Cybercrime has become a critical challenge in modern digital environments, requiring intelligent detection systems capable of identifying malicious network behaviors with high reliability. This paper presents a machine learning-based approach for cybercrime detection using the Random Forest classifier. The model is trained to distinguish between normal and malicious traffic patterns using numerical network features such as packet size, duration, and data volume. Random Forest leverages bootstrap aggregation and random feature selection to construct an ensemble of decision trees, reducing overfitting and improving generalization. Experimental evaluation is performed on a labeled dataset, demonstrating the model’s ability to learn discriminative patterns through impurity-based split criteria and majority voting for final predictions. Performance analysis is conducted using confusion matrix-based metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Results show that the proposed model achieves 91% accuracy, 90.2% precision, 92% recall, and a 91.1% F1-score, indicating strong sensitivity to cybercrime activities with low false alarm rates. The findings confirm that Random Forest provides an effective and robust solution for cybercrime detection in network environments and outperforms several traditional machine learning models in balancing detection capability and predictive reliability.

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Index Terms
Computer Science
Information Sciences
No index terms available.
Keywords

Cybercrime Detection Random Forest Machine Learning Network Traffic Analysis Classification Ensemble Learning Confusion Matrix Precision Recall F1-Score Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection

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