Data mining refers to the process of discovering useful patterns in very large databases. It uses methods from statistics, machine learning, and database management to restructure and analyze data to extract knowledge or information from the data. Data mining is also known as knowledge discovery in databases (KDD). (Thuraisingham, 1999)
Data mining is used in a wide range of enterprises. Examples include fraud detection in banking, market segmentation, campaign optimization, genetics research, telecommunications customer turnover prevention, Web site optimization, and crime prevention. (Ripley, 1996)