PhishGuard: Joint Semantic Detection & Propagation Control

A unified framework for phishing detection and propagation control on social media, powered by LLaMA and advanced graph-based intervention strategies.

This repository implements the complete research framework described in "Joint Semantic Detection and Dissemination Control of Phishing Attacks on Social Media via LLaMA-Based Modeling", featuring deep semantic understanding, adversarial robustness, and targeted intervention for comprehensive phishing mitigation.

🏗️ System Architecture

Alternative view: Architecture Diagram PNG

graph TB
    subgraph "Data Layer"
        TD[Twitter Data  
~100k tweets] --> DP[Data Preprocessing  
• Deduplication  
• Language filtering  
• Text standardization]
        ED[Edge Data  
User interactions] --> GC[Graph Construction  
• Social network  
• Temporal patterns]
    end
    
    subgraph "Model Architecture"
        DP --> LLaMA[LLaMA Encoder  
• Semantic embeddings  
• Attention mechanisms  
• LoRA fine-tuning]
        LLaMA --> SE[Semantic Enhancement  
• Deep projection  
• Phishing-specific attention  
• Risk assessment]
        SE --> CLS[Classifier Head  
• 2-way classification  
• Confidence scoring]
    end
    
    subgraph "Training Framework"
        CLS --> L1[Classification Loss  
L_cls = CrossEntropy]
        SE --> ADV[Adversarial Training  
• Semantic perturbation  
• KL divergence  
• Distribution sharpening]
        ADV --> L2[Adversarial Loss  
KL divergence robustness]
        
        GC --> PG[Propagation Graph  
G with nodes V and edges E  
• User nodes  
• Interaction edges]
        PG --> IC[Independent Cascade  
• Diffusion simulation  
• Spread estimation σS]
        IC --> L3[Propagation Loss  
L_prop = Expected spread]
        
        L1 --> JO[Joint Optimization  
L_total = L_cls + λ·L_adv + μ·L_prop]
        L2 --> JO
        L3 --> JO
    end
    
    subgraph "Intervention System"
        PG --> RA[Risk Assessment  
• Model predictions  
• Network centrality  
• Behavioral patterns]
        RA --> CS[Candidate Selection  
• Influence ranking  
• Activity analysis]
        CS --> GI[Greedy Intervention  
• Budget optimization  
• Marginal gain  
• Impact evaluation]
    end
    
    subgraph "Output"
        JO --> PM[Trained Model  
• Phishing detection  
• Risk scoring]
        GI --> IN[Intervention Nodes  
• Optimal selection  
• Spread minimization]
        PM --> MT[Metrics  
• Accuracy: 85-95%  
• F1-Score: 80-92%  
• AUC: 90-98%]
        IN --> PR[Propagation Reduction  
• 15-40% spread decrease  
• Cost-effectiveness]
    end
    
    style LLaMA fill:#e1f5fe
    style JO fill:#f3e5f5
    style GI fill:#e8f5e8
    style MT fill:#fff3e0
    style PR fill:#fff3e0

✨ Key Features

🧠 Advanced Phishing Detection

• LLaMA-2-7B Integration: Deep semantic understanding with fallback to DistilBERT for CPU deployment
• Enhanced Architecture: Multi-layer semantic projection with phishing-specific attention mechanisms
• LoRA/PEFT Support: Parameter-efficient fine-tuning for resource-constrained environments
• Robust Preprocessing: Automated deduplication, language filtering, and text standardization

🛡️ Adversarial Robustness

• Semantic Perturbations: Embedding-space adversarial examples with ‖δ‖ < ε constraints
• KL Divergence Training: Maximize distribution differences between clean and perturbed inputs
• Multiple Attack Strategies: FGSM, PGD, and semantic perturbation methods
• Temperature Scaling: Enhanced distribution sharpening for better robustness

🌐 Social Network Analysis

• Graph Construction: Automated social network building from user interactions and temporal patterns
• Independent Cascade Model: Monte Carlo simulation of information diffusion with influence decay
• Multi-factor Risk Assessment: Combines model predictions, network centrality, and behavioral patterns
• Real-time Propagation Control: Dynamic loss computation based on actual graph structure

🎯 Targeted Intervention

• Greedy Optimization: Budget-constrained intervention node selection with marginal gain analysis
• Influence-aware Selection: PageRank, betweenness centrality, and risk-based candidate ranking
• Impact Quantification: Measurable spread reduction with cost-effectiveness metrics
• Scalable Implementation: Efficient algorithms for large social networks (100k+ users)

🔧 Production-Ready Features

• Mixed Precision Training: FP16 support for memory efficiency
• Gradient Checkpointing: Training large models on limited hardware
• Comprehensive Logging: Detailed metrics and progress tracking
• Checkpoint Management: Model state preservation and recovery
• Real Data Integration: Twitter API collection and dataset formatting tools

🧪 MLOps & Experimentation

• MLflow Integration: Complete experiment tracking, model registry, and reproducible runs
• Ray Tune Hyperparameter Optimization: Automated hyperparameter search with early stopping
• Ray Train Distributed Training: Multi-GPU and multi-node training capabilities
• Experiment Comparison: Grid search automation and result visualization
• Advanced Schedulers: ASHA, Hyperband, and Optuna integration for efficient tuning

🚀 Quick Start

Option 1: Use Demo Data (Fastest - 5 minutes)

# 1. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# 2. Generate realistic demo data
python scripts/generate_demo_data.py --tweets 5000 --users 1000

# 3. Train the model
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

# 4. View results
cat runs/phishguard_exp/final_results.yaml

Option 2: Use Real Twitter Data

# 1. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt tweepy

# 2. Get Twitter API access (developer.twitter.com)
export TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN="your_bearer_token_here"

# 3. Collect real data (10-15 minutes)
python scripts/collect_twitter_data.py

# 4. Train with real data
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

Option 3: Format Existing Dataset

# Format existing phishing dataset
python scripts/format_existing_data.py \
    --input your_dataset.csv \
    --output data/tweets.csv \
    --text-col "tweet_content" \
    --label-col "is_phishing"

# Train on formatted data
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

Option 4: MLflow Experiment Tracking (Recommended for Research)

# 1. Install MLflow and Ray dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# 2. Quick start with MLflow and Ray
python scripts/quick_start_mlflow_ray.py --setup

# 3. Run single experiment with tracking
python scripts/quick_start_mlflow_ray.py --single-experiment

# 4. Start MLflow UI to view results
python scripts/quick_start_mlflow_ray.py --start-ui
# Access at: http://localhost:5000

Option 5: Hyperparameter Optimization with Ray Tune

# 1. Run automated hyperparameter search
python scripts/quick_start_mlflow_ray.py --tune-hyperparams

# 2. Or run advanced hyperparameter tuning
python -m training.ray_tune_hyperparams --num-samples 20 --max-epochs 5

# 3. Use best configuration found
python -m training.train_mlflow --config configs/best_config_ray.yaml

Using the trained model

After training, the model is saved under runs/phishguard_exp/ as best_model.pt and model.pt.

Single text (command line):

python -m inference.run_inference --checkpoint runs/phishguard_exp/best_model.pt --text "Claim your prize now: https://bit.ly/xyz"

Batch from CSV:

python -m inference.run_inference --checkpoint runs/phishguard_exp/best_model.pt --input data/tweets.csv --output predictions.csv --text-col text

In Python:

import torch
from models.llama_classifier import PhishGuardClassifier

ckpt = torch.load("runs/phishguard_exp/best_model.pt", map_location="cpu")
cfg = ckpt["config"]
model = PhishGuardClassifier(cfg["model"]["model_name_or_path"], num_labels=2, peft_cfg=cfg["model"])
model.load_state_dict(ckpt["model_state_dict"])
model.eval()

# One prediction
inputs = model.tokenizer("Your text here", return_tensors="pt", truncation=True, max_length=cfg["model"]["max_length"])
with torch.no_grad():
    logits = model(input_ids=inputs["input_ids"], attention_mask=inputs["attention_mask"]).logits
p_phishing = torch.softmax(logits, dim=-1)[0, 1].item()  # P(phishing)

📋 Detailed Running Instructions

🎯 Quick Navigation

• First Time? Start Here - Get up and running in 5 minutes
• Prerequisites & Installation - System requirements and setup
• Basic Usage - Simple training and evaluation
• Advanced Features - MLflow, Ray Tune, distributed training
• Real Data - Twitter API and custom datasets
• Configuration - Customize model and training settings
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• Optimization - Speed up training and improve quality
• Production - Deploy trained models

Prerequisites & Installation

1. System Requirements:

   # Check Python version (3.8+ required)
   python --version
   
   # Check available GPU (optional but recommended)
   nvidia-smi  # For NVIDIA GPUs
   

2. Install Dependencies:

   # Clone the repository
   git clone 
   cd phishguard-scaffold
   
   # Install Python dependencies
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   
   # Optional: Install development dependencies
   pip install black ruff pytest  # For code formatting and testing
   

3. Verify Installation:

   # Test basic imports
   python -c "from training.train import run; print('✅ Installation successful!')"
   

Basic Usage Examples

1. Quick Demo Run (Recommended for First-Time Users)

# Generate synthetic demo data (5K tweets, 1K users)
python scripts/generate_demo_data.py --tweets 5000 --users 1000

# Run basic training with demo data
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

# View results
cat runs/phishguard_exp/final_results.yaml

2. Training with Custom Configuration

# Create custom config (copy and modify)
cp configs/config.yaml configs/my_config.yaml
# Edit configs/my_config.yaml as needed

# Run with custom config
python -m training.train --config configs/my_config.yaml

3. Evaluation Only (No Training)

# Evaluate with pre-trained model checkpoints
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml --eval-only

Advanced Usage

MLflow Experiment Tracking

# 1. Set up MLflow experiment tracking
python scripts/quick_start_mlflow_ray.py --setup

# 2. Run single tracked experiment
python -m training.train_mlflow --config configs/mlflow_config.yaml \
    --experiment-name "PhishGuard_Research" \
    --run-name "baseline_experiment"

# 3. Start MLflow UI to view results
mlflow ui --host 0.0.0.0 --port 5000
# Open: http://localhost:5000

Hyperparameter Optimization with Ray Tune

# Basic hyperparameter search (20 trials)
python -m training.ray_tune_hyperparams \
    --config configs/mlflow_config.yaml \
    --num-samples 20 \
    --max-epochs 5

# Advanced hyperparameter search with custom parameters
python scripts/run_mlflow_experiments.py \
    --experiment-type lr \
    --config configs/mlflow_config.yaml

Distributed Training

# Multi-GPU training (if available)
python -m training.ray_tune_hyperparams \
    --config configs/mlflow_config.yaml \
    --distributed

# Check GPU utilization
watch -n 1 nvidia-smi

Working with Real Data

Option 1: Twitter API Collection

# 1. Get Twitter API credentials from developer.twitter.com
export TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN="your_bearer_token_here"

# 2. Collect real tweets
python scripts/collect_twitter_data.py \
    --output data/tweets.csv \
    --count 10000 \
    --keywords "phishing,scam,bitcoin,cryptocurrency"

# 3. Train with real data
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

Option 2: Format Existing Dataset

# Format your existing CSV dataset
python scripts/format_existing_data.py \
    --input your_dataset.csv \
    --output data/tweets.csv \
    --text-col "message_content" \
    --label-col "is_malicious" \
    --user-col "user_id"

# Verify data format
head -n 5 data/tweets.csv

# Train with formatted data
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

Configuration Guide

Key Configuration Parameters

# Essential settings in configs/config.yaml

model:
  model_name_or_path: "meta-llama/Llama-2-7b-hf"  # Main model
  fallback_model: "distilbert-base-uncased"        # CPU fallback
  peft: lora                                       # Enable LoRA
  max_length: 512                                  # Token length

train:
  batch_size: 8        # Adjust based on GPU memory
  num_epochs: 5        # Training epochs
  lr: 1e-4            # Learning rate
  fp16: true          # Mixed precision (saves memory)

loss:
  lambda_cls: 1.0     # Classification loss weight
  lambda_adv: 0.3     # Adversarial loss weight  
  mu_prop: 0.2        # Propagation loss weight

Memory Optimization Settings

# For limited GPU memory (< 8GB)
# Edit configs/config.yaml:
# - Set batch_size: 4 or 2
# - Set fp16: true
# - Set gradient_checkpointing: true
# - Use fallback_model: "distilbert-base-uncased"

# For CPU-only training
# Edit configs/config.yaml:
# - Set model_name_or_path: "distilbert-base-uncased"
# - Set peft: null
# - Set fp16: false

Monitoring & Evaluation

Real-time Training Monitoring

# Terminal 1: Start training
python -m training.train_mlflow --config configs/mlflow_config.yaml

# Terminal 2: Monitor with MLflow UI
mlflow ui --host 0.0.0.0 --port 5000

# Terminal 3: Monitor system resources
watch -n 2 'nvidia-smi; echo ""; free -h'

Evaluate Model Performance

# Basic evaluation metrics
python -c "
from training.train import run
results = run('configs/config.yaml', eval_only=True)
print(f'Accuracy: {results[\"test_metrics\"][\"accuracy\"]:.3f}')
print(f'F1-Score: {results[\"test_metrics\"][\"f1\"]:.3f}')
print(f'AUC: {results[\"test_metrics\"][\"auc\"]:.3f}')
"

# Detailed analysis with intervention impact
python scripts/analyze_results.py runs/phishguard_exp/

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Issues & Solutions

1. CUDA Out of Memory:

# Solution: Reduce batch size and enable optimizations
# In configs/config.yaml:
train:
  batch_size: 2  # Reduce from 8
  fp16: true
  gradient_checkpointing: true

2. Model Loading Failures:

# Check if model name is correct
python -c "
from transformers import AutoTokenizer
try:
    tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained('meta-llama/Llama-2-7b-hf')
    print('✅ Model accessible')
except Exception as e:
    print(f'❌ Model error: {e}')
"

# Use fallback model
# In configs/config.yaml set: model_name_or_path: "distilbert-base-uncased"

3. Data Loading Issues:

# Check data file format
python -c "
import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_csv('data/tweets.csv')
print(f'Data shape: {df.shape}')
print(f'Columns: {list(df.columns)}')
print(f'Sample:\\n{df.head(2)}')
"

# Regenerate demo data if needed
python scripts/generate_demo_data.py --tweets 1000 --users 200

4. Import Errors:

# Check Python path
python -c "import sys; print('\\n'.join(sys.path))"

# Install missing dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run from project root
cd /path/to/phishguard-scaffold
python -m training.train --config configs/config.yaml

Performance Optimization Tips

Speed Up Training:

# 1. Use mixed precision
# Set fp16: true in config

# 2. Increase batch size (if memory allows)
# Set batch_size: 16 or 32

# 3. Use LoRA for faster fine-tuning
# Set peft: lora, lora_r: 16

# 4. Pre-compile model (PyTorch 2.0+)
# Set compile_model: true in config

Improve Model Quality:

# 1. Use more training epochs
# Set num_epochs: 10

# 2. Tune loss weights
# Experiment with lambda_adv: 0.5, mu_prop: 0.3

# 3. Use larger model (if resources allow)
# Set model_name_or_path: "meta-llama/Llama-2-13b-hf"

# 4. Collect more/better training data
python scripts/collect_twitter_data.py --count 50000

Development Workflow

Code Quality Checks:

# Format code
black training/ scripts/ --line-length 88

# Check for issues
ruff check .

# Run tests (if available)
pytest tests/ -v

Experiment Tracking:

# Compare multiple experiments
python scripts/run_mlflow_experiments.py --experiment-type lr
python scripts/run_mlflow_experiments.py --experiment-type loss-weights

# View comparisons in MLflow UI
mlflow ui

Production Deployment

Export Trained Model:

# Save model for inference
python -c "
from training.train import run
from models.llama_classifier import PhishGuardClassifier
import torch

# Load trained model
model = PhishGuardClassifier('path/to/checkpoint')
torch.save(model.state_dict(), 'phishguard_production.pth')
print('Model saved for production use')
"

Batch Inference:

# Run inference on new data
python -m inference.run_inference \
    --checkpoint runs/phishguard_exp/best_model.pt \
    --input new_tweets.csv \
    --output predictions.csv \
    --text-col text

📊 Expected Performance

Model Performance (with 10k+ real tweets)

• Accuracy: 85-95%
• F1-Score: 80-92%
• AUC: 90-98%
• Precision: 82-94%
• Recall: 78-90%

Propagation Control

• Spread Reduction: 15-40%
• Intervention Efficiency: Budget-optimal node selection
• Cost-Effectiveness: 2-8 nodes per 1% spread reduction
• Graph Coverage: Supports 10k-100k+ user networks

Training Performance

• CPU Training: 2-6 hours (DistilBERT)
• GPU Training: 30-90 minutes (LLaMA + LoRA + FP16)
• Memory Requirements: 4-16GB depending on model choice
• Data Processing: 5-15 minutes for 50k tweets

📁 Project Structure

phishguard_scaffold/
├── README.md, requirements.txt
├── configs/
│   ├── config.yaml              # Main configuration file
│   └── mlflow_config.yaml       # MLflow and Ray configuration
├── data/
│   ├── dataset.py              # Enhanced data loading & preprocessing
│   ├── tweets.csv              # Tweet dataset (text, labels, metadata)
│   └── edges.csv               # Social network edges
├── models/
│   └── llama_classifier.py     # LLaMA-based classifier with LoRA
├── training/
│   ├── train.py               # Joint optimization training loop
│   ├── train_mlflow.py        # MLflow-enhanced training with experiment tracking
│   ├── ray_tune_hyperparams.py # Ray Tune hyperparameter optimization
│   └── adversarial.py         # Adversarial training components
├── propagation/
│   ├── graph.py               # Social network & IC simulation
│   └── intervene.py           # Intervention strategies
├── eval/
│   └── metrics.py             # Evaluation metrics
├── inference/
│   └── run_inference.py       # Load checkpoint & run phishing detection (CLI)
├── scripts/
│   ├── collect_twitter_data.py      # Real Twitter data collection
│   ├── format_existing_data.py      # Dataset formatting utility
│   ├── generate_demo_data.py        # Synthetic data generation
│   ├── run_mlflow_experiments.py    # Automated experiment grid search
│   └── quick_start_mlflow_ray.py    # MLflow and Ray quick start guide
└── runs/                            # Training outputs and checkpoints
   ├── mlruns/                       # MLflow experiment tracking data
   └── ray_results/                  # Ray Tune optimization results

⚙️ Configuration

The framework is highly configurable via configs/config.yaml:

model:
  model_name_or_path: meta-llama/Llama-2-7b-hf  # Primary model
  fallback_model: distilbert-base-uncased        # CPU fallback
  peft: lora                                     # Enable LoRA
  lora_r: 16                                     # LoRA rank
  max_length: 512                                # Input sequence length

train:
  batch_size: 8                                  # Batch size
  num_epochs: 5                                  # Training epochs
  lr: 1e-4                                       # Learning rate
  fp16: true                                     # Mixed precision

loss:
  lambda_cls: 1.0                                # Classification weight
  lambda_adv: 0.3                                # Adversarial weight
  mu_prop: 0.2                                   # Propagation weight

propagation:
  ic_samples: 100                                # IC simulation samples
  budget: 20                                     # Intervention budget
  topk_candidates: 200                           # Candidate pool size

📚 Data Format

Required Tweet Data (tweets.csv)

Social Network Data (edges.csv)

🔬 Methodology

• ✅ Deep Semantic Modeling: LLaMA-based semantic representations
• ✅ Adversarial Training: Enhanced robustness against deceptive messages
• ✅ Social Network Analysis: Influence-based diffusion modeling
• ✅ Targeted Intervention: High-risk propagation path disruption
• ✅ Joint Optimization: Unified loss combining all components
• ✅ Comprehensive Evaluation: Multiple metrics and intervention impact

Joint Optimization Objective

L_total = λ_cls × L_cls + λ_adv × L_adv + μ_prop × L_prop

Where:
- L_cls: Standard cross-entropy classification loss
- L_adv: KL(clean vs perturbed) adversarial robustness loss
- L_prop: Graph-based propagation control loss

🛠️ Advanced Usage

Custom Model Integration

from models.llama_classifier import PhishGuardClassifier

# Initialize with custom model
model = PhishGuardClassifier(
    "microsoft/DialoGPT-medium",
    peft_cfg={"peft": "lora", "lora_r": 8}
)

Programmatic Training

from training.train import run

# Run training programmatically
results = run("configs/config.yaml", eval_only=False)
print(f"Final accuracy: {results['test_metrics']['accuracy']:.3f}")

Custom Intervention Analysis

from propagation.intervene import evaluate_intervention_impact

impact = evaluate_intervention_impact(graph, intervention_nodes, risk_scores)
print(f"Spread reduction: {impact['relative_reduction']:.1%}")

MLflow Experiment Tracking

import mlflow
from training.train_mlflow import MLflowPhishGuardTrainer, TrainingConfig

# Configure experiment
config = TrainingConfig(
    experiment_name="PhishGuard_Research",
    run_name="adversarial_loss_study",
    lambda_adv=0.4,  # Custom adversarial weight
    num_epochs=10
)

# Run tracked experiment
trainer = MLflowPhishGuardTrainer(config)
results = trainer.train()

# View in MLflow UI: mlflow ui

Ray Tune Hyperparameter Optimization

from ray import tune
from training.ray_tune_hyperparams import run_hyperparameter_optimization

# Define custom search space
search_space = {
    "lr": tune.loguniform(1e-5, 1e-3),
    "lambda_adv": tune.uniform(0.1, 0.5),
    "batch_size": tune.choice([8, 16, 32])
}

# Run optimization
results, best_trial = run_hyperparameter_optimization(
    num_samples=50,
    max_num_epochs=10,
    gpus_per_trial=0.25
)

print(f"Best F1 score: {best_trial.metrics['f1']:.4f}")

Distributed Training with Ray

from training.ray_tune_hyperparams import distributed_training_example

# Run distributed training across multiple GPUs
results = distributed_training_example("configs/mlflow_config.yaml")

📈 Extending the Framework

Adding New Models

1. Implement in src/models/ following the PhishGuardClassifier interface
2. Update configuration options in configs/config.yaml
3. Test with the existing training pipeline

Custom Loss Functions

1. Add new loss components in src/training/adversarial.py
2. Integrate into joint optimization in src/training/train.py
3. Configure weights via YAML settings

Alternative Intervention Strategies

1. Implement new algorithms in src/propagation/intervene.py
2. Follow the interface expected by greedy_minimize_spread
3. Evaluate using provided impact metrics

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

Development Setup

git clone 
cd phishguard_scaffold
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt  # Additional dev dependencies

# Run tests
python -m pytest tests/

# Format code
black src/ scripts/

📊 Benchmarks

Performance on various dataset sizes:

Benchmarks run on NVIDIA A100 with LLaMA-2-7B + LoRA

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

📖 Citation

If you use this framework in your research, please cite:

@article{phishguard2024,
  title={Joint Semantic Detection and Dissemination Control of Phishing Attacks on Social Media via LLaMA-Based Modeling},
  author={Rui Wang},
  journal={[ICCEA 2025 Proceedings]},
  year={2024},
  url={https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11103392}
}

🆘 Support

• 📖 Documentation: See docs/DATA_INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md and docs/REQUIREMENTS_ANALYSIS.md
• 🐛 Issues: Report bugs and feature requests via GitHub Issues
• 💬 Discussions: Join our community discussions
• 📧 Contact: [contact information]

🎯 What's Next?

Planned improvements and extensions, by area and effort:

Existing roadmap items:

• [ ] Multi-language support beyond English
• [ ] Real-time deployment pipeline
• [ ] Integration with Twitter API v2 streaming
• [ ] Advanced visualization dashboard
• [ ] Federated learning capabilities

⭐ Star this repository if you find it useful for your research or applications!

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