Analysis of Global Trends in Communication Encryption Development Based on Bibliometrics

Communication encryption provides significant assurance for information transmission. This paper uses bibliometric methods to analyze 25,871 publications on communication encryption from the Web of Science Core Collection between 1990 and 2024. The results show a continuous growth trend in research on communication encryption, with China being the academic leader in this field. However, there is still room for improvement in paper quality to enhance international influence. Keyword cluster analysis identifies five major research themes: authentication, blockchain, image encryption, quantum key distribution, and wireless communication. Quantum key distribution, as the future direction of communication security, has attracted significant attention.