Data Sharing and Use in Cybersecurity Research

Abstract

Data sharing is crucial for strengthening research integrity and outcomes and for addressing complex problems. In cybersecurity research, data sharing can enable the development of new security measures, prediction of malicious attacks, and increased privacy. Understanding the landscape of data sharing and use in cybersecurity research can help to improve both the existing practices of data management and use and the outcomes of cybersecurity research. To this end, this study used methods of qualitative analysis and descriptive statistics to analyze 171 papers published between 2015 and 2019, their authors’ characteristics, such as gender and professional title, and datasets’ attributes, including their origin and public availability. The study found that more than half of the datasets in the sample (58%) and an even larger percentage of code in the papers (89%) were not publicly available. By offering an updated in-depth perspective on data practices in cybersecurity, including the role of authors, research methods, data sharing, and code availability, this study calls for the improvement of data management in cybersecurity research and for further collaboration in addressing the issues of cyberinfrastructure, policies, and citation and attribution standards in order to advance the quality and availability of data in this field.