MALVERTISING AS A VECTOR OF CYBERCRIME IN DIGITAL PLATFORMS

The usage of malvertising, which exploits advertising networks to send malware, ransomware, and phishing techniques while evading traditional security measures, has become a significant avenue for criminality on digital platforms. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of 236 papers from The Lens database, focusing on the evolution of scientific output, author collaboration patterns, and theme frameworks in malvertising research. Using Bibliometrix (R) and VOSviewer, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence maps, theme clusters, and a density metadata table were created to identify research trends and knowledge gaps. Results show that machine learning, behavioral an-alytics, and ecosystem-aware security solutions are receiving more attention in the field of research, with high-impact publications like IEEE Access, Sensors, and Electronics making substantial con-tributions to their development. Additionally, the report highlights research prospects and difficulties by identifying upcoming issues such as blockchain, IoT, AR/VR platforms, and zero-day malvertis-ing. Finally, this report summarizes the state of the art in malvertising research, highlights systemic weaknesses in advertising ecosystems, and offers suggestions for future cybersecurity research top-ics, adaptive defense tactics, and regulation.