Publication Pattern and Research Assessment of Cyber Security: A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

In today’s digital age, where technology shapes our lives, the importance of cyber security cannot be overstated. As technology advances, the need for cyber security becomes crucial to ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of sensitive data. The study conducted a bibliometric analysis to examine cyber security literature from 2013 to 2022 published in the Scopus database, indexing 5600 documents. Employing tables, graphs, and charts, the analysis reveals key findings: Lingfeng Wang from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the most prolific author, followed by Taha Selim Ustun and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo. IEEE Access leads in the journal analysis, followed by “Computers and Security” and “Sensors.” The peak publication year is 2022, with 2013 as the least productive. The USA is the most prolific country, followed by China, UK, and India. Top affiliations include the King Abdulaziz University, Deakin University, and Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The study also reveals the open-access availability of literature in different categories. Overall, analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the evolving landscape of cyber security literature, emphasizing key authors, journals, affiliations, countries, years, literature availability in open access, and publication trends.

1. Introduction

Nowadays, sending and receiving data is very simple; we can send and receive any type of data with just a press of a key. But can we consider the data we share or receive secure and safe from being leaked or stolen by cybercriminals? In order to overcome this problem, we need cyber security, and it works as a safeguard of our computer systems, networks, and programs from unauthorized access and loss. As we know, the Internet is currently the fastest-rising infrastructure in the modern era. In today’s digital age, numerous emerging technologies are reshaping human beings, and because of these new technologies, we are failing to save our valuable data and information from the attacks of cyber criminals, which is leading to the growth of cybercrimes day by day, which is not a good sign [1]. Any action that could result in the loss of information, software, or data, processing incompatibilities, or hardware damage poses a threat to computer protection. In our increasingly digital landscape, protecting sensitive information and systems through effective cybersecurity measures is crucial. As technological advancements continue to shape our world, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of data has become an essential safeguard against potential threats and vulnerabilities. The primary goal of cybersecurity is to safeguard our computer systems, networks, and programs from unauthorized access and loss. By preventing data loss, theft of identities, and digital attacks, cyber security measures play a crucial role in supporting risk management initiatives. Organizations may successfully avoid and handle these risks with the help of a solid network security framework and an effective crisis management strategy [2]. Furthermore, the use of cybersecurity technologies promotes a secure digital environment by safeguarding sensitive data while also improving stakeholder confidence and trust in general.

Like in the field of cyber security, the growth in literature is enormously increasing day by day in every field of study, and because of this, it is very difficult to retrieve reliable information from documents. To overcome this problem, we need to analyze the documents published on any specific subject or topic. Amid this exponential growth of literature, employing data analysis is crucial to distil valuable insights from the abundance of information available. The process of data analysis can be done through the “bibliometric analysis.” It is an important tool used to evaluate the trends in the pattern of expansion of the journal, including its execution. It is used to describe a piece of literature by highlighting the work he published, such as the regularity of the publication, coverage of the topic, structure of the authorship, and reference allocation [3]. This technique can be useful in finding out new research trends as well as knowledge sharing in the journal’s specialized subject. It is one of the most widely used techniques for data analysis by research scholars and subject specialists in order to provide a better understanding of the literature.

2. Statement of the problem

The study was conducted to ascertain the progression of scholarly communication in the field of “cyber security” published during the recent decade, as well as the sources of publication, well-known authors, important journals, most productive affiliations and countries, and year-wise production. To conduct such aspects, the study employs bibliometric analysis to reveal key insights in the area of cyber security.

3. Aims and objectives

The objectives of this study outline the specific goals and aims that drive the research forward. It provides a structured approach to comprehensively explore cyber security literature. The primary goals of the investigation encompass the following objectives:

• To determine the distribution of research publications and identify the most prolific journals in the domain of cybersecurity.

• To recognize the authors and their contributions to the field.

• To ascertain the countries that contribute most significantly to the cybersecurity field.

• To create a list of institutions accountable for generating literature related to cybersecurity.

• To examine the open-access availability of literature on cybersecurity.

4. Limitations of the study

This study, focusing on cyber security literature through bibliometric analysis, acknowledges its inherent limitations that may impact the extent of generalization and interpretation of findings. The following are the limitations that should be acknowledged within the scope of this study:

• The current analysis covers a decade from 2013 to 2022, both years included. The records during the study period have been retrieved from Scopus databases.

• The temporal scope of the study could result in overlooking significant trends that occurred before 2013 or after 2022.

• The analysis may be limited to publications in specific languages present in the selected database, possibly excluding relevant contributions in other languages.

• While bibliometrics offers quantitative insights, they may not accurately reflect the quality or significance of research contributions.

• Choosing an alternative database like Web of Science can introduce potential limitations. It can influence the scope of the study by having different results compared to the previously obtained results.

5. Review of related literature

There are several studies in the field of cyber security that contributed in improving our understanding of the topic. Lu et al. [4] conducted a bibliometric study from 1974 to 2006 to explore the progression on computer crimes and cybercrime studies. Shukla & Gochhait [5] extended the timeframe by analyzing the data from 1998 to 2020 and analyzing the evaluation of cyber security with the help of bibliometric study. Kyrdoda et al. [6] also investigated the cyber security technology developments from 2011 to 2021 through bibliometric technique. They examined significant journals, writers, nations, and widely referenced works across the domain of cyber security system. On the other hand, Altarturi et al. [7] highlighted the topic of cyber parental control by analyzing it through bibliometric technique. They reveal the growth patterns, countries, subject areas, and documents type within specific field. Meanwhile, Makawana & Jhaveri [8] conducted a bibliometric study to explored the field of the machine learning for cyber security, highlighting its contributions, while Arora & Jain [9] extending this topic by focusing on the threads of and their solutions with the help of deep learning techniques with the help of bibliometric analysis. Bringing these studies together via their common goal of enhancing our knowledge of cyber security amid the changing landscape of technology and digital threats.

The role of cyber security also has a big impact across the multiple areas, and several studies shows its importance through various point of views. Garg et al. [10] conducted a bibliometric study on cloud computing security, determining the emerging trends and pointing out China and India’s significant contributions. Bolbot et al. [11] expanded the scope by focusing on maritime cyber security in the context of the emergence of Industry 4.0 by conducting a systematic evaluation of the literature as well as bibliometric evaluation. On the other hand, Fernandez de Arroyabe et al. [12] focused on the automobile sector. With the help of bibliometric analysis, this study highlights the necessity of cyber security in automobile sector. Also, in the healthcare industry, cyber security is a concern. Nair & Saha [13] conducted a bibliometric analysis to highlight the improvements in the healthcare information system and cyber security. These studies showed how important cybersecurity is for everyone and provided us with different viewpoints on how we can use cybersecurity in different fields.

Several studies focus on the intersection of cybersecurity and social media. Ismail & Saip [14] conducted a bibliometric study to investigate the trends in cyber security thread research on social media focusing on the challenges of security threats, and Zaimy et al. [15] conducted a bibliometric study that focused on cyber security risks in social media. The study reveals the changing pattern of publications over the last decade. On the other hand, Yumitro et al. [16] conducted a precise bibliometric analysis of international publication trends on the interaction of cyber security and terrorism between 2009 and 2022. These studies contribute to a better understanding on the complex relationship between cyber security and social media.

6. Research methodology

The methodology for this bibliometric study involved systematically searching the Scopus database for the term “cyber security” across all fields. We refined our search by applying specific filters. We focused on documents published between 2013 and 2022, related to the subjects of Engineering and Computer Science only, and restricted the documents originating from journals only. After applying these filters, we identified a dataset of 5600 relevant documents. This dataset was then exported in CSV format for further analysis. To further analyze the data, we used Microsoft Excel, creating tables and charts to extract valuable information. This approach allowed us to identify key trends in cyber security research, such as top authors, influential institutions, and leading countries, over the past decade.

7. Data analysis, interpretation, and discussion

This bibliometric study has been done to determine the growth of the literature on the topic “cybersecurity” from 2013 to 2022. The Scopus database, one of the most extensive and reliable databases, was utilized for this purpose.

The current study collected data from 5600 documents extracted from the Scopus database on the topic of “cybersecurity,” covering the subjects of Engineering and Computer Science from a wide range of institutions throughout the world. The data was exported and subsequently subjected to analysis using MS Excel. The following sections represent the broader aspects of the study.

7.1 Ranking of authors

With the help of the current study, we have identified the most productive authors of a total of 5600 documents indexed in the Scopus database. This study shows the authors who were most productive and contributed the most documents.

Table 1 lists and ranks the 20 most productive authors. As reflected in the table, the most productive author is Lingfeng Wang of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. With 21 publications on the topic of cyber security, he is representing 0.38% of all documents. The most notable publications of Wang are in the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, published by IEEE, highlighting his expertise in the field. Taha Selim Ustun of the Japan’s Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, AIST (FREA). The most published works of Ustun are in Energies, published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), and IEEE Access, published by IEEE, indicating his prolific contributions to the field. Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo of the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA, who, respectively, produced 20 (0.36%) and 16 (0.29%), documents are next in author productivity. The publications of Choo are in these two journals, IEEE Internet of Things Journal (IEEE) and Computers and Security (Elsevier), showcasing his extensive work and expertise in the field of cyber security.

Sr. No.	Author	Affiliation	Country	Publications	Rank	% of 5600
1	Wang, Lingfeng	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	United States	21	1	0.38
2	Ustun, Taha Selim	Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute	Japan	20	2	0.36
3	Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond	University of Texas at San Antonio	United States	16	3	0.29
4	Ahmad, Jawad	Edinburgh Napier University	United Kingdom	15	4	0.27
5	Alazab, Mamoun	Charles Darwin University	Australia	15	4	0.27
6	Jajodia, Sushil	George Mason University	United States	15	4	0.27
7	Lakhno, Valeriy	National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine	Ukraine	15	4	0.27
8	Zeadally, Sherali	University of Kentucky	United States	15	4	0.27
9	Creese, Sadie	University of Oxford	United Kingdom	13	9	0.23
10	Ganesan, Rajesh	George Mason University	United States	13	9	0.23

Table 1.

Top 10 authors.

The analysis highlights the significant contributions of authors in the field of cyber security, particularly highlighting the prolific output of Lingfeng Wang, Taha Selim Ustun, Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, Jawed Ahmad, Mamoun Alazab, etc. Their collective body of work constitutes a significant portion of the documents indexed in the Scopus database, indicating their substantial impact and expertise in the field. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers and institutions engaged in cybersecurity research and development.

Figure 1 represents the publication profile of authors, and only the top 10 authors have been shown in the figure. The Wang, Lingfeng, with 21 publications and the Ganesan, Rajesh, with 13 publications, are clearly visible in the diagram.

Figure 1.

Author-wise publications.

7.2 Ranking of journals

A number of journals have produced documents on the topic of “cybersecurity” between 2013 and 2022. With the help of this study, we identified which journals are the most important and, hence, core journal collection publishing documents on the topic of cybersecurity in the area of Engineering and Computer Science.

IEEE Access produced 392 documents, constituting 7% of the total documents, and is ranked first in Table 2 as the most prolific journal. It is published by one of the largest professional organizations in the United States, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and most of its publications were from the affiliations of Deakin University, Australia. Its top author is Taha Selim Ustun from Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, Koriyama, Japan. The Journal Computers and Security, which is published by Elsevier of the Netherlands, produced 182 documents, constituting 3.25 percent of the total. Its top affiliations include Deakin University, Australia; University of Melbourne, Australia; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; and the University of Texas at San Antonio, United States. Atif Ahmad from the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, Australia, is the top author associated with this journal. Additionally, Sensors, which is published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), produced 157 documents, constituting 2.8% of the total. The top affiliations of the journal include King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia; Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, United Kingdom; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; and Deakin University, Australia. Among the top authors associated with this journal is Jawad Ahmad from University Hospital Coventry, Coventry, United Kingdom. These are the next two highly prolific journals. The table also demonstrates that both IEEE and MDPI each have published six journals, collectively accounting for 12 out of top 20 journals.

Sr. No.	Journal	Publisher	Country	Publications	Rank	C.F.	% of 5600
1	IEEE Access	IEEE	United States	392	1	392	7.00
2	Computers and Security	Elsevier	Netherlands	182	2	574	3.25
3	Sensors	MDPI	Switzerland	157	3	731	2.80
4	IEEE Security and Privacy	IEEE	United States	150	4	881	2.68
5	Applied Sciences (Switzerland)	MDPI	Switzerland	130	5	1011	2.32
6	International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications	Science and Information Organization	United Kingdom	103	6	1114	1.84
7	Electronics (Switzerland)	MDPI	Switzerland	90	7	1204	1.61
8	IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid	IEEE	United States	66	8	1270	1.18
9	IEEE Internet of Things Journal	IEEE	United States	61	9	1331	1.09
10	Security and Communication Networks	Hindawi Limited	United Kingdom	61	9	1392	1.09

Table 2.

Top 10 journals.

C.F. = cumulative frequency.

The analysis highlights key journals in the field of cyber security, with IEEE Access, Computers and Security, Sensors, IEEE Security and Privacy, and Applied Sciences being the most prolific. These journals play a crucial role in disseminating research in this area, serving as essential resources for researchers and professionals.

Figure 2 represents the journals that have been used for publication by the authors in the field of cyber security. Only top 10 journals have been listed in the figure, and it is found that IEEE as the publisher has been widely used by the researchers in the field for publishing their research output, with IEEE Access publishing 392 publications and Security and Communication Networks 61 publications.

Figure 2.

Top 10 journals.

7.3 Distribution of publications by years

The current study on the topic of “Cyber Security” shows the year-wise production of the publications from 2013 to 2022 in the Scopus database. With the help of this study, we found the most productive and the least productive year.

As indicated in Table 3, the most productive year is 2022, which is natural as being the most recent, while the least productive year is 2013. The majority of documents, that is, 2130 (38.04%) of the total 5600, were published in 2022. This is followed by 2021, with 1194 (21.32%), and 2020, with 752 (13.43%) number of documents published. Only 50 (0.89%) documents were published in 2013, making it the least productive year. Besides, 2022 had the highest percentage growth rate. The increase in publications from 2021 to 2022 is about 78 percent in 2022, whereas the increment in 2013 is the least, increasing by only 28.21%.

Sr. No.	Year	Publications	Cumulative Frequency	% of 5600	Growth Rate %
1	2022	2130	2130	38.04	78.39
2	2021	1194	3324	21.32	58.78
3	2020	752	4076	13.43	33.81
4	2019	562	4638	10.04	60.57
5	2018	350	4988	6.25	47.68
6	2017	237	5225	4.23	53.90
7	2016	154	5379	2.75	49.51
8	2015	103	5482	1.84	51.47
9	2014	68	5550	1.21	36.00
10	2013	50	5600	0.89	28.21
	Total	5600		100.00

Table 3.

Distribution by years.

The analysis indicates a notable upward trend in cyber security research output in recent years, highlighting a growing interest among researchers in this area. Keeping informed about these developments is crucial for effectively tackling the evolving challenges and complexities in cyber security. Furthermore, these trends suggest a significant evolution in the cyber security landscape, potentially reflecting the increasing importance of cyber security in the digital age. The rise in publications in recent years may indicate a response to the growing threat environment, with researchers and professionals working hard to develop innovative solutions to fight cyber threats. The data also highlights the dynamic nature of cyber security, highlighting the need for continuous research and adaptation to address emerging challenges effectively.

7.4 Distribution of publication by countries

This aspect of the study identifies the countries included in the publications of the documents on the topic of “cybersecurity” in the domain of Computer Science and Engineering during 2013–2023 and reveals countries that are more productive.

The United States, which produced 1572 documents, constituting 28.07% of the total 5600 documents, is the most productive country, as reflected in Table 4. The key publications from the United States include IEEE Security and Privacy, published by IEEE, and IEEE Access, also published by IEEE. Prominent affiliations in the United States include the University of Texas at San Antonio and Carnegie Mellon University. Notable authors from the United States include Lingfeng Wang from the College of Engineering & Applied Science in Milwaukee, Kim Kwang Raymond Choo from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Sushil Jajodia from George Mason University in Fairfax. The USA is followed by China, which produced 647 (11.55%) documents in total. The key publications from China include IEEE Access by IEEE and Security and Communication Networks by Hindawi. Notable affiliations in China include the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Key authors from China include Chunjie Zhou and Yuanqing Qin from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. The United Kingdom comes next with 469 documents, accounting for 8.36% of the total. Major publications from the United Kingdom include Computer and Security by Elsevier, IEEE Access by IEEE, Sensors by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), and IEEE Security and Privacy by IEEE. Noteworthy affiliations in the United Kingdom include the University of Oxford and Edinburgh Napier University. Key authors from the United Kingdom include Jawad Ahmad from University Hospital Coventry in Coventry and Sadie J. Creese from Oxford Social Sciences Division in Oxford. It should also be noted that many documents are the results of collaborative studies in which authors from different countries collaborate to write an article. That is the reason why the number of documents is showing more than the actual data, which is 5600.

Sr. No.	Country	Publications	Cumulative Frequency	% of 5600
1	United States	1572	1572	28.07
2	China	647	2219	11.55
3	United Kingdom	469	2688	8.38
4	India	454	3142	8.11
5	Saudi Arabia	375	3517	6.70
6	Australia	357	3874	6.38
7	Spain	235	4109	4.20
8	Italy	233	4342	4.16
9	Canada	214	4556	3.82
10	South Korea	214	4770	3.82

Table 4.

Top 10 countries.

The analysis highlights the United States’ leading role in cyber security research, reflecting its strong focus and expertise in the field. Collaborative studies involving authors from various countries also contribute significantly to the global nature of cyber security research, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in addressing cyber security challenges.

Figure 3 represents the research contributions of the countries in the field of cybersecurity, which shows the USA as the leading country in the overall production of research in the field, followed by China. The figure reflects the number of publications of the countries based on the size and darkness of the color and reveals that the world's leading countries are at the forefront of cybersecurity research and development.

Figure 3.

Distribution by countries.

7.5 Distribution of publication by affiliations

In comparison to other institutions, some institutions are more involved in the study of a particular subject. It shows the institution’s interest in the particular area of study. This aspect of the study reveals the most productive institutions from 2013 to 2022 on cyber security.

The top 10 institutions are listed in Table 5. Out of these institutions, King Abdulaziz University of Saudi Arabia produced 62 documents, constituting 1.11% of the total 5600 documents, which is the most productive institution on the list. The King Abdulaziz University has been published in prestigious journals such as IEEE Access, published by IEEE, and the International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Application, published by the Science and Information Organization. The institution’s top authors include Fawaz Alsolami and Mahmoud Ragab. Additionally, Mohammad Shahidehpour from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, United States, is also recognized as a top author in this field. It is followed by Deakin University of Australia, producing 54 (0.96%). The Deakin University’s publications included prestigious journals such as IEEE Access by IEEE, IEEE Computer and Security by Elsevier, and Sensors by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). Noteworthy authors from Deakin University include Adnan Anwar and Zubair Baig. Furthermore, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which produced 44 (0.79%) number of publications. The institution’s publications were featured in reputable journals such as Computer and Security by Elsevier, IEEE Access by IEEE, and the International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications by the Science and Information Organization. Noteworthy authors from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology include Vasileios Gkioulos and Sokratis K. Katsikas.

Sr. No.	Affiliation	Country	Publications	Cumulative Frequency	% of 5600
1	King Abdulaziz University	Saudi Arabia	62	62	1.11
2	Deakin University	Australia	54	116	0.96
3	Norwegian University of Science and Technology	Norway	44	160	0.79
4	The University of Texas at San Antonio	United States	43	203	0.77
5	Carnegie Mellon University	United States	41	244	0.73
6	King Saud University	Saudi Arabia	40	284	0.71
7	Chinese Academy of Sciences	China	38	322	0.68
8	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	United States	36	358	0.64
9	Ministry of Education China	China	35	393	0.63
10	Taif University	Saudi Arabia	35	428	0.63

Table 5.

Top 10 affiliations.

The analysis underscores the active involvement and commitment of institutions like King Abdulaziz University of Saudi Arabia, Deakin University of Australia, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Carnegie Mellon University, etc., in advancing cyber security research. This indicates a global interest and dedication to addressing cybersecurity challenges. The collaborative efforts among these and other institutions play a crucial role in driving innovation and knowledge dissemination in the field.

Figure 4 represents the productivity of the top 10 institutions in the field, with King Abdulaziz University with 62 publications leading the institutions and Taif University and Ministry of Education China with 35 publications, each occupying the last position in the list. It reflects the research interests and the area of specialization in the top institutes of the world.

Figure 4.

Top 10 affiliations.

7.6 Literature availability in open access

This aspect of the study shows the availability of open-access content in the published documents. It highlights the distribution of content across published literature and offers a comprehensive view of accessibility in the field of study.

Table 6 shows that 3139 (56.05%), the majority of documents out of 5600, have all open access status. 1851 (33.05%) documents have gold status, 1515 (27.05%) documents have Green status, 543 (9.7%) documents have bronze status, and 286 (5.11%) documents have hybrid gold status. It should be noted that many documents have multiple open access statuses, such as gold and all open access. That is why the total number of documents is higher than the data itself, which is 5600.

Sr. No.	Open Access	Publications	% of 5600
1	All open access	3139	56.05
2	Gold	1851	33.05
3	Green	1515	27.05
4	Bronze	543	9.70
5	Hybrid gold	286	5.11

Table 6.

Literature availability in open access.

The large number of open-access documents in cyber security shows that people in this field are sharing knowledge. This helps researchers and academics get information more easily and makes the research community more informed. When researchers worldwide can access and use existing research, it encourages them to work together and come up with new ideas. This is good for the field because it helps it grow and develop in a more inclusive and dynamic way.

8. Major findings

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the expansion of literature on the topic of “Cybersecurity” between 2013 and 2022. For this, the data of 10 years has been taken for the analysis. A total of 5600 documents covering the areas of Engineering and Computer Science were taken from the Scopus database. The study found the most productive authors, top affiliations, journals, and countries in the field. It also finds the availability of the literature in open access.

The findings from the study reveal that Lingfeng Wang emerges as the most prolific author, hailing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. Wang has authored 21 publications in the field of cyber security, constituting 0.38% of the total documents. Following Wang, Taha Selim Ustun from Japan’s Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, AIST (FREA), and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo from the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA, are also prominent authors in the field, with 20 (0.36%) and 16 (0.29%) publications, respectively.

Focusing on the analysis of journals, the findings demonstrate that IEEE Access, published by IEEE in the USA, takes the lead, with 392 documents contributing to 7% of the total 5600 publications. Following closely is the Journal of Computers and Security, published by Elsevier in the Netherlands, responsible for 182 documents, accounting for 3.25% of the total publications. Additionally, Sensors, issued by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), stands out with 157 documents, representing 2.8% of the total publications.

After analyzing journals, the study focuses on the year-wise production of the publication and examines the growth rate of the publications. The year 2022 witnessed the publication of a substantial number of documents, totaling 2130 (38.04%) of the overall count. The following are 2021 and 2020, with 1194 (21.32%) and 752 (13.43%) documents published, respectively. On the other hand, in 2013, there were only 50 documents, making it the year with the lowest productivity. Furthermore, the findings elucidate the annual growth percentage of publications during the last decade (2013–2022). Notably, the year 2022 experienced the highest annual growth rate of approximately 78%, marking a significant increase over the decade. In contrast, 2013 witnessed the lowest growth rate, standing at 28.21%, underscoring the variations in growth throughout the 10-year period.

Following the year-wise analysis of production, the study analyzed the countries and found the most productive countries. As a result, the United States emerges as the most productive nation, contributing 1572 documents that constitute 28.07% of the overall 5600 documents. Following closely is China, with a total of 647 (11.55%) documents; the United Kingdom, with 469 (8.36%) documents; India, with 454 (8.11%) documents; and Saudi Arabia, with 375 (6.70%) documents. These top five countries stand out for their notable contributions to the field.

This study also finds out the availability of the literature in open access published in different modes of open access, like all open access, green, bronze, gold, and hybrid gold. The findings reveal that 3139 (56.05%), the majority of documents out of 5600, have All Open Access status. (1851 33.05%) documents have gold status, 1515 (27.05%) documents have green status, 543 (9.7%) documents have bronze status, and 286 (5.11%) documents have hybrid gold status. It highlights the distribution of content across published literature and offers a comprehensive view of accessibility in the domain of the study.

With regard to prolific institutions, the King Abdulaziz University of Saudi Arabia emerges as the foremost contributor, producing 62 documents, equivalent to 1.11% of the total 5600 documents. Following closely is the Deakin University of Australia, producing 54 (0.96%) documents, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which produced 44 (0.79%) documents. These findings underscore the distinctive contributions made by institutions in this field of study.

9. Conclusion

In this study, through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, it has been attempted to examine the distribution of the literature on cybersecurity in the field of Engineering and Computer Science. The main objectives of the research encompassed analyzing the distribution of literature by year, authors, country, journals, affiliations, and literature availability in open access category. The findings of the study offer valuable insights into the growing field of cybersecurity research, highlighting key trends and contributions in this crucial field.

The study identified the most active authors, popular journals, and top institutions in this field, reflecting that cyber security is a global concern. The study also found that many research papers are available for free, which helps researchers share knowledge and work together across borders to fight cyber threats.

The findings show that people worldwide agree that cyber security is really important. The United States, China, the United Kingdom, and India are leading in cyber security research. This shows that many countries are working together to fight cyber threats, even though they are far apart. The study also found that many research papers are freely available to everyone. This helps people share knowledge and work together across the world. This teamwork is crucial for dealing with cyber threats that affect everyone and need a united global effort to tackle. The study not only identifies top authors and institutions but also gives insights into research trends. For example, by looking at the work of productive authors like Lingfeng Wang, Taha Selim Ustun, and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo as they are leading figures in this field, and their work gives us valuable insights into the latest trends and advancements. These authors have contributed significantly to our understanding of cyber security challenges and solutions, shaping the direction of research and guiding the development of effective strategies to fight against cyber threats. This helps researchers understand where the field is heading and what to focus on in the future.

Furthermore, the ranking of journals serves as a compass for researchers navigating the huge amount of cyber security literature. Recognizing established journals like IEEE Access, Sensors, IEEE Security and Privacy, Computer and Security, and Applied Sciences (Switzerland) are considered the best for cybersecurity research. Researchers can aim to publish their work in these journals to make a bigger impact in the field. This keeps the field moving forward with new ideas and technologies to protect against cyber threats. Cybersecurity affects the whole world, and this study shows that research on the topic is happening everywhere. This highlights the need for global cooperation to tackle cyber threats that can affect everyone. With many papers being open access, anyone can access information on cyber security, which is important for both experienced researchers and newcomers looking to learn more. This helps create a more knowledgeable global community that is better prepared to deal with cybersecurity challenges.

The open-access nature of a significant portion of cybersecurity publications makes a strong argument for sharing knowledge in this important field. This not only empowers established researchers but also grants wider access to newcomers and professionals seeking to upskill themselves in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. This helps create a more knowledgeable global community in cybersecurity, which is better prepared to deal with future challenges.

Finally, the top institutions, such as King Abdulaziz University, show a strong commitment to cybersecurity research. This is important for training skilled cybersecurity workers and creating new ways to protect against cyber threats. By understanding the geographical distribution of research efforts, policymakers and educators can strategically allocate resources to strengthen cybersecurity education and training programs, ensuring a future generation well-equipped to safeguard our digital world.

The bibliometric study provides an interesting view of the cybersecurity research landscape, which is full of active research, global collaboration, and a growing focus on making knowledge freely accessible. As cyber threats continue to grow, the research findings from this study can be a guiding light for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in their mission to protect our digital world. This study presents a multifaceted examination of cyber security research indexed in the Scopus database. We can ascertain the availability of literature on cyber security by authors, affiliations, countries, journals, and year. It helps to know the increasing number of cyber security publications, indicating the development and advancement in our technical world. Such a study is helpful in understanding the research on cybersecurity. As technology evolves continuously, data about cyber security and the quality of the research content is going to increase, which will be helpful for the future of cyber security research.