Revista Sextante

Cybersecurity in the Digital Age Emerging Trends and Future Directions

Hafsa Anwar

Faculty of Computing Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan

Rabia Tabasum

Faculty of Computing Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan

Jawaid Iqbal

Associate Professor, Faculty of Computing Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan

Keywords: Cybersecurity, Cyber Threats, Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity, PRISMA, Systematic Literature Review, Future Research Directions

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Abstract

Modern digital societies have made cybersecurity a binding necessity as essential services, economic systems, and everyday human activities are progressively based on the interconnected digital infrastructures. The high growth rates of the cloud computing, Internet of Things ecosystems, artificial intelligence, and data-driven platforms have dramatically increased the cyber threat surface exposing organizations and individuals to advanced and complex cyber threats. The review article gives an in-depth analysis of cybersecurity in digital age, its development, areas of application, trends, ongoing issues, and the direction of future research. Systematic literature review method was used in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to provide methodological rigor and transparency. Systematic search of academic databases such as IEEE Xplore, Scopus, SpringerLink, Web of Science and ScienceDirect was also conducted and 200 records were found, of which 40 peer-reviewed articles were finally incorporated in the qualitative synthesis. The literature picked was analyzed thematically in three broad dimensions, including the idea of cybersecurity and enabling technology, the scope of application, including healthcare, smart cities, transportation, and energy systems, and new challenges and future research priorities. The findings reveal the rise in the use of AI-based security software, the rising rate of risks associated with the deployment of cloud and IoT technologies, the significance of regulatory adherence and people-oriented security software. The advanced persistent threat, AI-driven cyber-attack, the skills gap, and the complexity of the system continue to harm effective cybersecurity regardless of the terrific advancement in technology. The review has emphasized the need to adopt flexible, smart, and collaborative cybersecurity strategies, which can integrate technological solutions, policy formulation, and human cognition to safeguard computer systems in a rapidly growing hostile cyber realm.