SIMURG: Strategic intelligent framework for realtime3D visualization and high-altitude analysis of global cyber threats

Resul Das; Muhammed Onur Kaya

doi:10.4108/eetinis.13.12740

Authors

Resul Das Fırat University , Edinburgh Napier University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6113-4649
Muhammed Onur Kaya Fırat University https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6313-2278

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4108/eetinis.13.12740

Keywords:

Cyber Attack, Cyber Threat Visualization, WebGL Visualization, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Real-Time Visualization, Situational Awareness

Abstract

The increasing volume and variety of cyber threats on a global scale make it difficult for security analysts to provide real-time situational awareness, pointing out the inadequacy of traditional two-dimensional (2D) visualization approaches. This study proposes SIMURG (Strategic Intelligent Monitoring and Unified Response Graph), a web-based and hardware-independent three-dimensional (3D) visualization system aimed at analyzing global cyber threats in real-time and intuitively. Named after the legendary bird of Turkic mythology to symbolize a sovereign, high-altitude perspective over the digital landscape, the system translates this metaphorical wisdom into a holistic monitoring framework. The system collects and processes cyber threat intelligence and OSINT-based data streams together with their timestamps, and visualizes source-target relationships, attack density, and geographic distributions on an interactive WebGL-based 3D globe. To support situational awareness, threat information is represented using multiple visual attributes, including color, height, and object size. Experimental evaluations indicate that SIMURG maintains an average rendering performance of 43.5 frames per second (FPS) while displaying 3,504 active nodes and up to 1,752 simultaneous attacks. When operating in batch analysis mode, supported by dedicated optimization algorithms, the refresh rate exceeds 144 FPS. In addition, analyses conducted on six months of historical data show that the system can reveal recurring temporal patterns in cyber threats and provide useful insights for operational decision-making.

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Author Biographies

Resul Das, Fırat University, Edinburgh Napier University

Resul Daş is a Full Professor in the Department of Software Engineering at Firat University, Turkey, and is currently a Visiting Professor and Researcher at the Department of Cyber Security and System Engineering, Edinburgh Napier University, UK, under the TUBITAK 2219 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship program. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Computer Science from Firat University in 1999 and 2002, respectively, and completed his Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2008. From 2017 to 2018, he conducted research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Between 2000 and 2011, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Informatics and concurrently worked as a network and system administrator at the University's IT Center. Since 2002, he has been an instructor in the Cisco Networking Academy Program, delivering CCNA and CCNP courses. Prof. Daş has held significant leadership roles, including Head of the Software Engineering Department (2020–2023). He is a member of the Türk Telekom Science Board and has served as an Academic Consultant for prominent technology firms such as Logo, Netaş, Türk Telekom, and DGH Yazılım on major TUBITAK and Ministry of Industry-supported R&D projects.
Prof. Daş is globally recognized for his academic contributions, consistently listed among the "World’s Top 2% Most Influential Scientists" by Stanford University researchers for seven consecutive years (2019–2025). According to Google Scholar, he holds an h-index of 31 with over 6100 citations. He serves as an Associate Editor for several prestigious journals, including Internet of Things (Elsevier), Alexandria Engineering Journal (Elsevier), Telematics and Informatics Reports (Elsevier), IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (OJ-COMS), and the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing (Inderscience). Prof. Daş has successfully supervised 8 Ph.D. and 10 M.Sc. students. His research interests include computer networks, cybersecurity, AI-based IoT and systems engineering, graph data science and visualization, and software quality assurance and testing.
Muhammed Onur Kaya, Fırat University

Muhammed Onur Kaya graduated from Firat University, Faculty of Technology, Department of Software Engineering in 2024. He is currently pursuing his MSc in the same department. He achieved second place in the 4th Project Competition Event for Future Engineers Competing with Their Designs. He works in the private sector as a software engineer specializing in artificial intelligence. His research interests include computer networks and security, cybersecurity, software testing, graph data science, and artificial intelligence.

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SIMURG: Strategic intelligent framework for realtime3D visualization and high-altitude analysis of global cyber threats

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