Scientometric Analysis of Cyber Resilience in Financial and Banking Systems: Trends, Gaps, and Future Perspectives

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Industrial Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, College of Farabi, University of Tehran, Qom

Abstract

Purpose: Cyber resilience in financial and banking systems has emerged as a strategic necessity to counter technological threats and systemic crises. The growing sophistication of cyberattacks, the rapid expansion of digital financial services, and the increasing interdependence of financial infrastructures on networked technologies have elevated cyber resilience from a purely technical issue to a central pillar of financial stability. This study aims to map the scientific landscape of research on cyber resilience in financial and banking systems by identifying research trends, key contributors, thematic clusters, and knowledge gaps over the period 2018–2025.

Methodology: The study adopts a bibliometric approach to analyze the structure and evolution of research in this domain. Data was extracted from the Scopus database using a comprehensive Boolean search strategy that incorporated combinations of terms related to Cyber Resilience, Banking, and Financial Systems. The time frame was limited to 2018–2025 and the language to English. The raw data were cleaned and standardized using Open Refine to correct inconsistencies in author names, institutions, and keywords. Subsequently, the data were processed for network and visualization analyses using VOS viewer, while complementary descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted in Python with the Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib libraries. This methodological integration provided a comprehensive quantitative overview of the field across temporal, geographical, and conceptual dimensions.

Findings: The bibliometric distribution reveals a consistent upward trend in scientific output related to cyber resilience in financial systems, with the highest growth observed in 2023 and 2024. This surge reflects global attention to cybersecurity challenges arising from the expansion of fintech and digital finance. The United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Germany emerged as the dominant knowledge producers, while countries such as India and Australia play secondary but growing roles. The global collaboration network remains highly centralized around the U.S.–China axis, with limited participation from developing nations.

Conceptual and co-word analyses identified seven major thematic clusters structuring the literature:

1. Light Blue Cluster: Technical and defensive aspects (cybersecurity, network security, data protection).

2. Green Cluster: Cyber resilience and risk management, linking technical and financial dimensions.

3. Red Cluster: Emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, fintech, cyber fraud).

4. Black Cluster: Independent focus on risk assessment frameworks.

5. Purple Cluster: Policy, regulation, and socio-organizational resilience.

6. Turquoise Cluster: Critical infrastructure, smart cities, and cyber autonomy.

7. Yellow Cluster: Emerging topics such as sustainability, blockchain, e-commerce, and intrusion detection.

This clustering demonstrates a clear conceptual transition from a purely technical and defensive orientation toward a multidimensional, interdisciplinary, and system-level perspective where resilience, innovation, and sustainability converge.

Conclusion: The bibliometric evidence suggests that the field of cyber resilience in financial and banking systems is approaching conceptual maturity, yet significant research gaps persist. These include the scarcity of empirical studies within real-world financial institutions, the lack of integrated frameworks combining technical, institutional, and economic dimensions, and limited international and interdisciplinary collaborations. To advance this domain, financial institutions must shift from a reactive stance to systemic resilience management, leveraging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) for continuous monitoring, enhanced transparency, and improved responsiveness. Overall, this study highlights the pivotal role of cyber resilience in sustaining the integrity and stability of modern financial ecosystems. The integration of bibliometric and qualitative approaches, expansion of data sources, and development of standardized resilience assessment metrics are recommended pathways for future research.

Keywords

References

 

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