I read on an airplane that neural networks can catch bad guys. Why can we just build a big neural network?
Although most things one reads from magazines and newspapers while flying on airplanes turn out to be true, this particular factoid is more complex. A neural network is one particular type of data mining algorithm. There are many different types of data mining algorithms, and more generally, many different types of statistical algorithms. Some of these are discussed in the accompanying FAQ. Given the appropriate data sources, the appropriate processes, the appropriate systems, and the appropriate algorithms, data mining systems with good detection rates and good false positive rates can be developed. The detection rates and false positive rates will be a function primarily of the quality of the data and the quality of the business processes and methodologies used to process the data and build the models. The detection rates and false positive rates will be secondarily a function of the particular algorithm used. There are at least half a dozen types of common algorithms and all can be
