Novel Approaches for Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 790
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cryptography; searchable encryption; homomorphic encryption; biometry; identity-based encryption
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid expansion of interconnected systems, ranging from essential infrastructure to consumer Internet of Things (IoT) devices, has expanded the scope of cyberspace. Advancements in 5G communication, edge computing, cloud-native services, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) automation have made digital ecosystems more complex and flexible. These innovations enhance operational efficiency and promote innovation, but they also significantly increase the attack surface, making systems vulnerable to more advanced cyber threats such as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), zero-day exploits, ransomware, and AI-powered intrusions.
Cybersecurity and cyber defense now face the critical challenge of protecting heterogeneous systems against an increasing range of risks, from data breaches and ransomware to AI-generated attacks and supply chain exploits. The limitations of traditional defense strategies, often reactive and perimeter-based, have highlighted the need for proactive, intelligent, and resilient methods that can operate across dynamic, interconnected environments.
This Special Issue seeks to present novel methodologies, technologies, and frameworks that address emerging challenges in cybersecurity and cyber defense. We welcome high-quality submissions that provide theoretical advances, practical implementations, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Both academic research and industry-driven case studies are encouraged.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- AI and machine learning for threat detection, risk assessment, and response automation;
- Secure architectures for IoT, edge, and cloud systems;
- Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in cybersecurity applications;
- Zero Trust and adaptive access control models;
- Quantum-resilient cryptographic protocols;
- Cyber situational awareness and attack surface monitoring;
- Digital forensics, malware analysis, and anomaly detection;
- Security in critical infrastructures;
- Privacy-preserving computation and secure data sharing;
- Integration of human factors and socio-technical considerations in cyber defense.
This Special Issue aims to promote knowledge exchange between academia and industry and to support the development of next-generation cybersecurity solutions that are scalable, adaptive, and resilient in real-world scenarios.
Dr. Stefania Loredana Nita
Prof. Dr. Ion Bica
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- cybersecurity
- cyber defense
- threat detection
- secure architectures
- privacy-preserving technologies
- blockchain security
- AI in cybersecurity
- zero trust
- post-quantum cryptography
- critical infrastructure protection
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