# Information Security Applications in Smart Cities: A Bibliometric Analysis of Emerging Research
## 2 Smart Cities and Information Security  
Before starting a discussion about papers that have reviewed the literature on smart cities, it is essential to address some concepts. A smart city is understood as an urban area where electronic sensor technology is used to collect data from devices as well as assets and citizens for analysis and processing of the data to manage and monitor public infrastructures [50; 51]. Smart cities are characterized by the following characteristics in terms of digitalization: Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Cloud Services to promote integration [52; 53].  
At the heart of a smart city lies a tapestry of devices interconnected via wireless networks, often operating on open network protocols or APIs [54; 55; 56]. These elements, by their very design, can be susceptible to breaches, even by the smallest snippets of malicious code [57; 58; 59]. Consequently, information security shifts beyond the individual user's realm and emerges as a communal imperative within the smart city landscape [60; 61; 62]. Moreover, the escalating intricacy of the system's network infrastructures, magnified by digital communication, interconnected devices, and diverse network architectures, inevitably poses heightened security challenges [1; 63; 64; 65; 66; 67].  
The consequences of successful cyberattacks against smart cities can be severe and wide-ranging. They may include disruptions to essential infrastructure services, substantial financial losses, exposure of citizens' private data, erosion of trust in smart systems, and even physical harm or loss of life due to impacts on physical infrastructure. According to [PERSON] et al. [68], global spending on cybersecurity hardware, software, and services has significantly grown in the past few years, and the annual cybersecurity investment averages USD 1 billion by some financial and tech companies. Cyberattacks are a serious threat to the successful implementation of smart cities-related services. Comprehensive security mechanisms and a security-oriented mindset throughout the entire organization are essential to avert and control this risk.  
Table 1 presents the risk domain in information security to smart cities found in the literature, addressing different perspectives on provider and user application of technologies. Upon examination of the table, it is evident that the identified domains encompass topics that resonate with the discussions conducted by experts in the literature, as well as those on Cloud computing, IoT, data interpretation, and smartphone devices. Moreover, the highlighted risks emphasize the imperative need for acquiring deeper insights in advance, specifically in the realm of information security within smart cities, a domain that is growing in significance. Nonetheless, it is worth acknowledging a potential drawback associated with the abundance of published material, which serves as a catalyst for conducting the systematic review presented in this paper to identify guidelines that serve as a contribution to the theme.  
The analysis of these works allows us to conclude that information security risk in smart cities is still in the development stage in different devices. Thus, more comprehensive and complete research and analysis of all recent publications in the field of information security is necessary and still lacking. In this sense, a bibliometric study is a valuable tool to present the interrelationships of researchers, their contributions, and the gaps to be worked on.