Home Mapping the landscape of cybersecurity research: a bibliometric analysis
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Mapping the landscape of cybersecurity research: a bibliometric analysis

  • Jian Li

    Jian Li is a research professor at Zhejiang Gongshang University. She is Associate Editor of Translated Series on Cyber & Law Discourse Classics, and Managing Editor of International Journal of Legal Discourse. She has published widely in the field of digital and cyber studies, corpus linguistics, legal discourse and translation in refereed journals such as Semiotica, Social Semiotics, Language in Society, International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law, and International Journal for the Semiotics of Law.

    ORCID logo
    , Yichen Zhang

    Yichen Zhang is a postgraduate student at School of Foreign Language, Zhejiang Gongshang University. Her research interests include cybersecurity, corpus linguistics and discourse analysis.

    and Siyue Li

    Siyue Li is research fellow at Zhejiang University. Her research interests include socio-semiotic studies, legal discourse, corpus linguistics, and digital law studies. Her articles have been published in the Names-A Journal of Onomastics and International Journal of Legal Discourse.

    ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: May 22, 2025

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of internet technology and the frequent occurrence of cyberattacks, the importance of cybersecurity continues to expand, making it essential to systematically explore the current state and development trends in this field. This study conducts a visual analysis of international cybersecurity research collected in the Web of Science SSCI Collection using CiteSpace (6.4.R1). The findings indicate a positive development trend in international cybersecurity research, characterized by increasingly significant interdisciplinary features and distinct phases. However, challenges persist in areas such as academic collaboration, journal coverage, and research perspectives. The study suggests that future cybersecurity research will be influenced by more disciplines, further enhancing interdisciplinary integration and achieving breakthroughs in technological innovation, policy formulation, and talent cultivation. The conclusions of this research provide valuable insights for the theoretical and practical advancement of cybersecurity, encouraging innovation and sustained intellectual cooperation within the discipline.


Corresponding author: Siyue Li, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, E-mail:

About the authors

Jian Li

Jian Li is a research professor at Zhejiang Gongshang University. She is Associate Editor of Translated Series on Cyber & Law Discourse Classics, and Managing Editor of International Journal of Legal Discourse. She has published widely in the field of digital and cyber studies, corpus linguistics, legal discourse and translation in refereed journals such as Semiotica, Social Semiotics, Language in Society, International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law, and International Journal for the Semiotics of Law.

Yichen Zhang

Yichen Zhang is a postgraduate student at School of Foreign Language, Zhejiang Gongshang University. Her research interests include cybersecurity, corpus linguistics and discourse analysis.

Siyue Li

Siyue Li is research fellow at Zhejiang University. Her research interests include socio-semiotic studies, legal discourse, corpus linguistics, and digital law studies. Her articles have been published in the Names-A Journal of Onomastics and International Journal of Legal Discourse.

  1. Research funding: This work was supported by the project of National Social Science Foundation (Grant No. 24BYY151) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Zhejiang University.

References

Acedo, Francisco Jose, Carmen Barroso, Cristobal Casanueva & Jose Luis Galan. 2006. Co-authorship in management and organizational studies: An empirical and network analysis. Journal of Management Studies 43(5). 957–983. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00625.x.Search in Google Scholar

Adams, James D., Grant C. Black, J. Roger Clemmons & Paula E. Stephan. 2005. Scientific teams and institutional collaborations: Evidence from US universities, 1981–1999. Research Policy 34(3). 259–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2005.01.014.Search in Google Scholar

Amir, Eli, Shai Levi & Tsafrir Livne. 2018. Do firms underreport information on cyber-attacks? Evidence from capital markets. Review of Accounting Studies 23. 1177–1206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-018-9452-4.Search in Google Scholar

Anwar, Mohd, Wu He, Ivan Ash, Xiaohong Yuan, Ling Li & Li Xu. 2017. Gender difference and employees’ cybersecurity behaviors. Computers in Human Behavior 69. 437–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.040.Search in Google Scholar

Berkman, Henk, Jonathan Jona, Gladys Lee & Soderstrom Naomi. 2018. Cybersecurity awareness and market valuations. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy 37(6). 508–526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2018.10.003.Search in Google Scholar

Börner, Katy, Luca Dall’Asta, Weimao Ke & Alessandro Vespignani. 2005. Studying the emerging global brain: Analyzing and visualizing the impact of co-authorship teams. Complexity 10(4). 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1002/cplx.20078.Search in Google Scholar

Chen, Dongliang, Paweł Wawrzynski & Zhihan Lv. 2021. Cyber security in smart cities: A review of deep learning-based applications and case studies. Sustainable Cities and Society 66. 102655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102655.Search in Google Scholar

Callon, Michel, Jean Pierre Courtial & Francoise Laville. 1991. Co-word analysis as a tool for describing the network of interactions between basic and technological research: The case of polymer chemsitry. Scientometrics 22. 155–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02019280.Search in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei. 2006. CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57(3). 359–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20317.Search in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei & Loet Leydesdorff. 2014. Patterns of connections and movements in dual-map overlays: A new method of publication portfolio analysis. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 65(2). 334–351. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22968.Search in Google Scholar

Cheng, Le, Jiamin Pei & Marcel Danesi. 2019. A sociosemiotic interpretation of cybersecurity in US legislative discourse. Social Semiotics 29(3). 286–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2019.1587843.Search in Google Scholar

Cisneros, Luis, Mihai Ibanescu, Christian Keen, Odette Lobato-Calleros & Juan Niebla-Zatarain. 2018. Bibliometric study of family business succession between 1939 and 2017: Mapping and analyzing authors’ networks. Scientometrics 117. 919–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2889-1.Search in Google Scholar

Cram, W. Alec, John D’ Arcy & Jeffrey G. Proudfoot. 2019. Seeing the forest and the trees: A meta-analysis of information security policy compliance literature. MIS Quarterly 43(2). 525–554.10.25300/MISQ/2019/15117Search in Google Scholar

Donthu, Naveen, Satish Kumar, Debmalya Mukherjee, Nitesh Pandey & Marc Lim Weng. 2021. How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research 133. 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070.Search in Google Scholar

Hathaway, Oona A., Rebecca Crootof, Philip Levitz, Haley Nix, Aileen Nowlan, William Perdue & Julia Spiegel. 2012. The law of cyber-attack. California Law Review 100. 817–885.Search in Google Scholar

Hou, Jianhua, Xiucai Yang & Chaomei Chen. 2018. Emerging trends and new developments in information science: A document co-citation analysis (2009–2016). Scientometrics 115. 869–892. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2695-9.Search in Google Scholar

Hu, Kai, Govindjee Govindjee, Jinglu Tan, Qian Xia, Zongming Dai & Ya Guo. 2020. Co-author and co-cited reference network analysis for chlorophyll fluorescence research from 1991 to 2018. Photosynthetica 58(1). 110–124. https://doi.org/10.32615/ps.2019.154.Search in Google Scholar

Jeong, Jongkil, Joanne Mihelcic, Gillian Oliver & Rudolph Carsten. 2019. Towards an improved understanding of human factors in cybersecurity. In 2019 IEEE 5th international conference on collaboration and internet computing (CIC), 338–345. Los Angeles, CA: IEEE.10.1109/CIC48465.2019.00047Search in Google Scholar

Julisch, Klaus. 2013. Understanding and overcoming cyber security anti-patterns. Computer Networks 57(10). 2206–2211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2012.11.023.Search in Google Scholar

Kamiya, Shinichi, Jun-Koo Kang, Jungmin Kim, Andreas Milidonis & René M. Stulz. 2021. Risk management, firm reputation, and the impact of successful cyberattacks on target firms. Journal of Financial Economics 139(3). 719–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.05.019.Search in Google Scholar

Li, Hui & Jian Li. 2023. Yanping Liu, Minghai Tian, Yanming Shao: Cybercrimes and financial crimes in the global era. International Journal of Legal Discourse 8(1). 153–161.10.1515/ijld-2023-2007Search in Google Scholar

Li, Jian & Xitao Hu. 2022. Visualizing legal translation: A bibliometric study. International Journal of Legal Discourse 7(1). 143–162. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijld-2022-2067.Search in Google Scholar

Li, Siyue, Chunyu Kit & Le Cheng. 2024. Unveiling the landscape of Onomastics from 1972 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis. Names: A Journal of Onomastics 72(3). 40–64. https://doi.org/10.5195/names.2024.2576.Search in Google Scholar

Li, Ling, Wu He, Li Xu, Ivan Ash, Mohd Anwar & Xiaohong Yuan. 2019. Investigating the impact of cybersecurity policy awareness on employees’ cybersecurity behavior. International Journal of Information Management 45. 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.10.017.Search in Google Scholar

Mingers, John & Loet Leydesdorff. 2015. A review of theory and practice in scientometrics. European Journal of Operational Research 246(1). 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2015.04.002.Search in Google Scholar

Moody, Gregory D., Mikko Siponen & Seppo Pahnila. 2018. Toward a unified model of information security policy compliance. MIS Quarterly 42(1). 285–A22. https://doi.org/10.25300/misq/2018/13853.Search in Google Scholar

Neuwirth, Rostam J. 2024. The global institutional governance of AI: A four-dimensional perspective. International Journal of Digital Law and Governance 1(1). 1–41. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijdlg-2024-0004.Search in Google Scholar

Pan, Xuelian, Ming Cui, Xiaotong Yu & Hua Weina. 2017. How is CiteSpace used and cited in the literature? An analysis of the articles published in English and Chinese core journals. In International conference on scientometrics and informetrics, 1–8. Wuhan: China.Search in Google Scholar

Ramirez, Robert & Nazli Choucri. 2016. Improving interdisciplinary communication with standardized cyber security terminology: A literature review. IEEE Access 4. 2216–2243. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2016.2544381.Search in Google Scholar

Richardson, Vernon J., Rodney E. Smith & Marcia Weidenmier Watson. 2019. Much ado about nothing: The (lack of) economic impact of data privacy breaches. Journal of Information Systems 33(3). 227–265. https://doi.org/10.2308/isys-52379.Search in Google Scholar

Shi, Jianzhong & Ming Xu. 2021. Visualizing international studies on cyberspace sovereignty: Concept, rationality, and legitimacy. International Journal of Legal Discourse 6(2). 251–289. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijld-2021-2056.Search in Google Scholar

Skopik, Florian, Giuseppe Settanni & Fiedler Roman. 2016. A problem shared is a problem halved: A survey on the dimensions of collective cyber defense through security information sharing. Computers & Security 60. 154–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2016.04.003.Search in Google Scholar

Small, Henry. 1973. Co‐citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the American Society for Information Science 24(4). 265–269. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.4630240406.Search in Google Scholar

Trim, Peter R. J. & Yang-Im Lee. 2021. The global cyber security model: Counteracting cyber attacks through a resilient partnership arrangement. Big Data and Cognitive Computing 5(3). 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc5030032.Search in Google Scholar

Walton, Stephanie, Patrick R. Wheeler, Yiyang Zhang & Xinlei Zhao. 2021. An integrative review and analysis of cybersecurity research: Current state and future directions. Journal of Information Systems 35(1). 155–186. https://doi.org/10.2308/isys-19-033.Search in Google Scholar

Yang, Lijun, Liangxiu Han & Naxin Liu. 2019. A new approach to journal co-citation matrix construction based on the number of co-cited articles in journals. Scientometrics 120. 507–517. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-019-03141-9.Search in Google Scholar

Yang, Min & Min Wang. 2021. A science mapping of studies on courtroom discourse with CiteSpace. International Journal of Legal Discourse 6(2). 291–322. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijld-2021-2057.Search in Google Scholar

Yost, Jeffrey R. 2015. The origin and early history of the computer security software products industry. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 37(2). 46–58. https://doi.org/10.1109/mahc.2015.21.Search in Google Scholar

Zhao, Yilin & Le Cheng. 2024. A bibliometric study of research trends in cross-border cybercrime. International Journal of Legal Discourse 9(1). 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijld-2024-2001.Search in Google Scholar

Zwilling, Moti, Galit Klien, Dušan Lesjak, Łukasz Wiechetek, Fatih Cetin & Hamdullah Nejat Basim. 2022. Cyber security awareness, knowledge and behavior: A comparative study. Journal of Computer Information Systems 62(1). 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2020.1712269.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2024-10-10
Accepted: 2025-02-05
Published Online: 2025-05-22
Published in Print: 2025-06-26

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 9.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijld-2025-2006/html?recommended=sidebar&srsltid=AfmBOorCGSlMBJ8-SV9o8JGR-U1oEaQ4UJMIjoNfkHSruQxtJHBNjRUC
Scroll to top button