Abstract:

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has transformed network management by decoupling the control and data planes, enabling centralized control and programmability. While SDN enhances flexibility and scalability, its centralized architecture introduces critical security challenges, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, API exploits, and controller compromises. This study provides a comprehensive review of SDN security vulnerabilities and evaluates mitigation techniques such as authentication protocols, anomaly detection systems, resilient architectures, and secure communication protocols. The findings highlight the importance of multi-layered defense strategies to safeguard SDN environments and address evolving cyber threats. Gaps in scalability, real-time adaptation, and integration with emerging technologies are also identified, paving the way for future research.