Method and device for ascertaining anomalies in a communications network

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for ascertaining whether there is an anomaly in a communications network, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• in a first phase, training a discriminator to recognize whether messages transmitted over the communications network are indicative of an anomaly existing, wherein during the training of the discriminator, normal data and artificial data produced by a generator are fed as an input variable to the discriminator, and the discriminator being trained to recognize that the normal data being fed to the discriminator connotes no anomaly, and the artificial data being fed to the discriminator connotes an anomaly;
• in a second phase, training the generator to produce the artificial data in such a way that, when the artificial data are fed to the discriminator, the discriminator classifies the artificial data as likely to be normal data;
• and
• in a third phase, feeding contents of messages received over the communications network as an input variable to the discriminator, an output variable being ascertained as a function of the input variable and a decision as to whether the anomaly exists or not being made as a function of the output variable.