PLUGGING THE GAPS Can the metaverse be a safer place than today's internet?

Security has to be built into the platforms right from the start

- SUDHIR CHOWDHARY

THE METAVERSE IS the buzzword today- and for a good reason. Simply put, it is the fusion of the real and the virtual in the digital world. Advancements in immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), leveraged with other internet-based technologies, can fundamentally change how we connect with one another. However, just like any other new technology, this new opportunity in the form of advanced immersive technology also brings its own set of challenges and cyber risks.

"We already have security challenges that we haven't been able to adequately address," said Kayne McGladrey, senior member at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest technical professional body. "The metaverse is likely to inherit these challenges. For example, phishing and theft of credentials have carried over to the metaverse.