Mapping the Evolving Landscape of Ransomware Research: A Bibliometric Analysis for Cybersecurity Advancements

Ransomware is a critical cybersecurity threat that disrupts healthcare, finance, and government by encrypting data and demanding ransom. Although narrative and systematic reviews have examined ransomware from technical, sector-specific, and legal perspectives, quantitative bibliometric mapping remains scarce, and existing studies cover shorter periods and fewer analytical techniques. This study addresses that gap through a bibliometric analysis of 1,386 ransomware-related publications indexed in Scopus from 2007 to 2024, using Scopus, BiblioMagika, VOSviewer, Publish or Perish, and Bibliometrix. It examines publication trends, leading authors, institutions, countries, thematic clusters, and collaboration patterns. Results show a sharp rise in output since 2017, though only seven researchers have published ten or more papers on the topic. Keyword and thematic-map patterns point to early detection techniques, deep learning, data breach analysis, convolutional neural networks, feature selection, machine learning, and artificial intelligence as areas of growing activity, consistent with a shift toward proactive and intelligent defense mechanisms. By mapping the intellectual structure and evolution of ransomware research, this study offers insights for cybersecurity professionals, academics, and policymakers seeking to understand current trends, anticipate future challenges, and design more effective mitigation strategies.