Cyber Deception and Theft: A Critical Review

Cyber deception and theft is the utilization of technology to perpetrate deception and enable theft. Theft typically denotes the act of unlawfully appropriating money or property, including credit card information, intellectual property, or digital content. The necessity for cyber deception and theft prevention is escalating, and the increased standardization and optimization of these measures is crucial for enhancing countermeasures. This paper aimed to present optimal mitigation strategies for cyber deception and theft by conducting a complete and systematic review of relevant literature, utilizing the PRISMA paradigm for systematic literature review technique. The results demonstrate that technical controls alone are inadequate for the industry. The incorporation of predictive analytics will yield more proactive preventative models. The results indicate that cyber deception and theft are systemic issues rather than individual incidents, necessitating coordinated, multi-faceted solutions. Comprehensive strategies that include behavioral awareness, multi-tiered security frameworks, forensic capabilities, regulatory alignment, and global cooperation are necessary. The research findings underscore the necessity for standardized risk-of-bias frameworks in cybercrime investigations to improve comparability and methodical synthesis in subsequent evaluations. Mitigation measures are proposed in relation to the identified phases of cyber deception and theft. Ultimately, it is advised that policy must synchronize technical regulation with behavioral risk reduction and international cooperation.