TMT
What are the risks of the metaverse , and what makes these risks unique ? “ The psychological impact of people being in the metaverse is as real as the real world is . So , security in the metaverses is absolutely critical ,” states Kagoo .
One of the biggest concerns of the metaverse , naturally , lies in the level of personal data that is being shared and stored on these platforms .
“ We need to get it right , in terms of security , privacy and governance and how we ' re managing people ' s data . And that ' s so important in the metaverse , because we have so many different kinds of data ,” O ' Connor outlines .
“ We ' re getting biometric data ; we ' re getting eye movement ; we ' re getting potential respiratory , cognitive , and all other kinds of behavioural biofeedback , which could create an incredibly personal digital fingerprint .”
For many users , this level of data collection will be seen as incredibly invasive . As a result , companies ’ GDPR practices will be put under even more scrutiny .
“ It ' s a balancing act of making sure that you ’ re doing what GDPR requires and disclose what you ' re collecting , to be transparent . That ' s a tall order for the metaverse . And , upon stepping into it , we really have to make sure that we understand what we ' re
collecting , why we ' re collecting it , how we ' re using it , and what ' s happening with that data ,” O ' Connor advises .
Furthermore , as this increase in data collection exposes users and companies to even higher risks , there is an urgent need for the security of our existing technologies to be improved , before they can be deployed in the metaverse .
“ The problem with the metaverse is that it is being built on technologies that exist today – ones that already have a deep-rooted legacy of security vulnerabilities ,” states Rick McElroy , Principal Cybersecurity Strategist at VMware .
“ Before new cybersecurity strategies can be developed , existing defences for technologies vital to the metaverse , such as 5G , IoT , blockchain and artificial intelligence , need to be fortified . Only then can we ensure a solid foundation for this new virtual realm .”
In this way , one of the cruxes to a successful metaverse cybersecurity strategy lies in adopting a unified approach .
“ One of the key things that we need to understand is that it ' s not just about bringing in different technologies . Since it has so many different stakeholders – like cybersecurity , innovation , government bodies and regulatory bodies – everybody needs to come together to create a safer , more regulated ecosystem ,” Kagoo states .
There are a number of organisations and safety initiatives out there that are working to define a framework for these ‘ best practice ’ cybersecurity measures . These consortiums will prove critical in shaping what the web 3.0 experience will look like and the technologies that it will enable .
“ We ' re at the point to influence some of those things and really figure out how we get the things right in Web 3.0 that we didn ' t get right in 2.0 . And I think that ' s the exciting opportunity here ,” says O ' Connor .
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