Toward a Zero Trust Security Framework for Smart Learning Environments: Integrating Intrusion Detection Systems to Mitigate Adversarial Machine Learning Threats in AI-Driven Education

Smart learning environments represent a major step toward making education more efficient and flexible. Through the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and big data, these environments have proven their ability to personalize the learning experience, enhance engagement, customize content and feedback, provide tailored recommendations, build learning paths, automated the assessment process, feedback generation, and improve decision-making in real time. These opportunities make it an indispensable choice in the field of education. On the other hand, the use of artificial intelligence in this environment has raised many security challenges that require constant attention to enhance cybersecurity and ensure an educational environment that is not only innovative but also secured. The security landscape in smart learning environments has become more complex due to their intricate architecture, which combines embedded artificial intelligence algorithms, cloud computing technologies, the Internet of Things, and various digital learning applications. This integration and complexity have led to an increase in data volume, while the scope of threats has expanded with the emergence of malicious cyberattacks targeting AI models through data manipulation or the exploitation of vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the proliferation of users and devices, along with the integration of educational systems with external services, further complicates the security landscape, broadens the scope of attacks, and increases the likelihood of security risks. This necessitates the adoption of integrated security strategies capable of adapting to the evolving nature of digital threats. This article explores the threats facing smart learning environments, focusing on those targeting machine learning and the best practices that should be adopted to protect smart learning environments from sophisticated cyber threats.