A processing system including at least one processor may generate a binary traffic vector from a traffic flow in a communication network. The binary traffic vector may comprise a plurality of elements, each associated with a respective time period and comprising one of: a first value or a second value. For each time period the traffic flow comprises a transfer of a data unit, a corresponding element comprises the first value, and for time period the traffic flow does not comprise a transfer of a data unit, a corresponding element comprises the second value. The processing system may then apply a traffic flow record comprising the binary traffic vector as an input to a deep learning classifier trained to classify traffic flow records into traffic categories, and determine a traffic category from an output of the deep learning classifier in accordance with the traffic flow record as the input.