Intrusion Detection Datasets for IIoT and ICS: A Taxonomic Review with a Decision-Aid Scoring Rubric
Abstract
Dataset quality significantly affects the effectiveness of a machine learning (ML) model in an intrusion detection system (IDS) for cyber-physical industrial control systems (CPS/ICS) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Existing surveys compare datasets qualitatively or along limited dimensions, whereas this review introduces quantitative documentation and decision-aid scoring across 23 ICS/OT/IIoT datasets. These datasets are analyzed along seven measurable axes, with their attacks mapped to MITRE ATT&CK for ICS tactics. Quantitatively, 14 of the 23 datasets (60.9%) are built on physical testbeds, and 22 of the 23 map to MITRE ATT&CK for ICS, spanning 11 of the 12 tactics. We introduce a checklist for documentation completeness (0-7) and a decision-aid rubric (0-15) covering realism, attack diversity, class imbalance, documentation, and reproducibility. Protocol coverage across these datasets is skewed toward Modbus (13 of 23 datasets, 57%), while many other protocols (such as Profinet and OPC UA) are underrepresented relative to their industry deployment. The available datasets show structural gaps in capturing multi-stage adversary behavior. In practice, dataset selection should pair a realism-anchored dataset with a high-reproducibility one, and account for protocol diversity and APT representation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Smart Grid Security and Resilience
Network Security and Intrusion Detection
Anomaly Detection Techniques and Applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Sensors
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 4099–4099
- Publication date
- 27 June 2026
- Language
- EN