Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Metaverse and New Cybersecurity Threats

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Metaverse

Part of the book series: Studies in Big Data ((SBD,volume 133))

  • 862 Accesses

Abstract

The ultimate implementation of the rapidly evolving Metaverse may differ from today's vision, but the Metaverse is based on key technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), AR cloud, internet of things (IoT), advanced communication technologies (5G and beyond), artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. These key technologies promise to integrate and harmonize the physical world with the digital world. However, with the rise of the aforementioned key technologies, it can be foreseen that the security field will deepen and open new channels for cybercriminals to target businesses and individuals. Today, cybersecurity is a horizontal technology that affects many different areas of life and various sectors. It is also a critical component of national security and national defense systems. The rapidly digitalizing world, including the Metaverse, serves the growth of the cybersecurity field. Almost all devices, from military equipment to healthcare devices, are becoming digital and interacting with cyberspace; thus the physical layer and the cyber layer converge. In this context, cybersecurity technologies appear as one of the critical technologies at the base of the Metaverse, and it is calculated that the damages to be experienced will be devastating if countries do not focus on the field of cybersecurity within the framework of these rapid developments. With the development of the Metaverse, organizations rush to create metadata, while cybercriminals have opportunities to exploit the vulnerabilities of AR, VR, IoT, blockchain, and cryptocurrency to launch cyber attacks. Thus, organizations exploring metadata storage will need advanced risk assessment features for their infrastructure and connected devices. In this chapter, new cyber threats are compiled and discussed as the key technologies that underpin the Metaverse continue to rise; such as phishing, malware and ransomware, metadata security, Web 3.0 security, avatar hacking, deepfake, NFT spoofing; and cybersecurity for key technologies such as cloud, IoT, AR, VR, wearable technologies and other technologies that may emerge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Including, Secure Access Service Edge – SASE.

  2. 2.

    UGC: User-Generated Content; SpoF: Single Point of Failure; DDoS: Distrubuted Denial of Service; Sybil: Fake Identity Attacks.

References

  1. ITU.: Global connectivity report 2022 (2022). https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/2022/05/30/gcr-chapter-2/

  2. Statista.: Global digital population as of April 2022 (2022). https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/

  3. Cybersecurity Ventures.: 2022 Cybersecurity almanac: 100 facts, figure s, predictions and statistics (2022) https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybersecurity-almanac-2022/

  4. WEF.: Global cybersecurity outlook 2022 (2022a). https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2022/

  5. WEF.: Global risks report 2022 (2022b). https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2022/

  6. Check Point.: Check point software’s 2022 security report: global cyber pandemic’s magnitude revealed (2022a). https://pages.checkpoint.com/cyber-security-report-2022.html?utm_source=cp-home&utm_medium=cp-website&utm_campaign=pm_wr_22q1_ww_security_report

  7. Gartner.: What is Metaverse (2022a). https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-is-a-Metaverse

  8. Forbes Technology Council.: Metaverse as the new attack vector and other security headlines to come in 2022 (2022). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/02/15/Metaverse-as-the-new-attack-vector-and-other-security-headlines-to-come-in-2022/?sh=1481be5a3d00

  9. TÜBİSAD-Deloitte.: ICT sector report 2021 (in Turkish) (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  10. SOCRadar.: Future of cybersecurity in the era of metaverse (2022). https://socradar.io/future-of-cybersecurity-in-the-era-of-Metaverse/

  11. Abbate, S., Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., Oropallo, E., Riccio, E.: A first bibliometric literature review on Metaverse. 2022 IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Conference (TEMSCON EUROPE) (2022). https://doi.org/10.1109/TEMSCONEUROPE54743.2022.9802015

  12. IBM Security: X-Force threat intelligence index 2022 (2022). https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/ADLMYLAZ

  13. WEF Strategic Intelligence: Metaverse & cybersecurity (2022c, 2022d). https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1G680000004EbNEAU

  14. EY.: Ernst&young CEO imperative study 2019 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  15. NATO.: NATO science and technology council, science and technology trends 2020–2040 (2020). https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2020/4/pdf/190422-ST_Tech_Trends_Report_2020-2040.pdf

  16. WEF.: WEF global risks report 2021 (2021). https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2021/

  17. KPMG.: The top 10 tech trends of 2022 (2022a). https://home.kpmg/xx/en/blogs/home/posts/2022/01/the-top-10-tech-trends-of-2022.html

  18. KPMG. (2022b). KPMG technology trends USA. http://technologytrendsindex.kpmg.com/#overview

  19. Gartner.: Gartner top strategic technology trends for 2022 (2022b). https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/insights/top-technology-trends

  20. AIMultiple.: A complete guide to generative AI in 2022 (2022). https://research.aimultiple.com/generative-ai/

  21. Gartner.: Gartner 2021–2023 emerging technology roadmap for large enterprises (2022c). https://www.gartner.com/en/publications/emerging-technology-roadmap-for-large-enterprises

  22. Gartner.: 7 Top trends in cybersecurity for 2022 (2022d). https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/7-top-trends-in-cybersecurity-for-2022

  23. VPN Check.: Cyber security statistics and malware trends for 2022 (Updated Regularly) (2022). https://www.vpncheck.org/cyber-security-statistics/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNmWBhA4EiwAHbjEQOqSEMcNyc3llv7A0c-w93I6-SjdksvXJQhp9YK5mmrFgqokMkCfXBoCOMYQAvD_BwE

  24. ET CIO.: Cybersecurity in the age of metaverse: securing Web 3.0 (2022). https://cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital-security/cybersecurity-in-the-age-of-Metaverse-securing-web-3-0/91333946?redirect=1

  25. Gartner.: Metaverse hype to transition into new business models that extend digital business (2022e). https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-02-07-gartner-predicts-25-percent-of-people-will-spend-at-least-one-hour-per-day-in-the-Metaverse-by-2026

  26. MSPCorp.: Why cybersecurity matters in the metaverse (2022). https://www.mspcorp.ca/why-cybersecurity-matters-in-the-Metaverse/

  27. Get Cyber Resilient.: Why the metaverse could be hacker heaven (2022). https://www.getcyberresilient.com/threat-insights/why-Metaverse-could-be-hacker-heaven

  28. Boltonshield.: (2022). https://boltonshield.com/en/cybersecurity-in-the-era-of-the-Metaverse/

  29. Techrepublic.: Metaverse companies faced 60% more attacks last year, and 5 other online fraud statistics (2022). https://www.techrepublic.com/article/Metaverse-companies-face-60-more-attacks-last-year-and-5-other-online-fraud-statistics/

  30. UK Express.: Metaverse will see cyberwarfare attacks unlike anything before: ‘Massively elevated’ (2022). https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1570844/Metaverse-news-cyber-warfare-attacks-virtual-worlds-russia-china-spt

  31. Wang, Y., Su, Z., Zhang, N., Liu, D., Xing, R., Luan T.H., Shen, X.: A survey on metaverse: fundamentals, security, and privacy (2022). arXiv:2203.02662v2

  32. Di Pietro, R., Cresci, S.: Metaverse: security and privacy issues. 2021 third IEEE international conference on trust, privacy and security in intelligent systems and applications (TPS-ISA) (2021). https://doi.org/10.1109/TPSISA52974.2021.00032

  33. Check Point: New opensea attack led to theft of millions of dollars in NFTs (2022b). https://blog.checkpoint.com/2022/02/20/new-opensea-attack-led-to-theft-of-millions-of-dollars-in-nfts/

  34. FBI.: Private industry notification (PIN) report (2021). https://www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2021/210310-2.pdf

  35. Online Security.: Transcend into the metaverse: the future or guaranteed flop? (2022) https://onlinesecurity.trendmicro-apac.com/index.php/blog/2022/06/15/transcend-into-the-Metaverse-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/

  36. PLI.: Cybersecurity in the metaverse (2022). https://www.pli.edu/programs/C/cybersecurity-in-the-Metaverse

  37. Techtarget.: Top metaverse cybersecurity challenges to consider (2022). https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Top-Metaverse-cybersecurity-challenges-to-consider

  38. Brar, H.K.: The fabric of the industrial metaverse: contextualized & networked data (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Securityboulevard.: Web 3.0 and its cybersecurity implications (2022). https://securityboulevard.com/2022/03/web-3-0-and-its-cybersecurity-implications/

  40. Industrial Cybersecurity Lab.: Metaverse and Web 3.0 cybersecurity risks (2021). https://ozdenercin.com/2021/12/10/Metaverse-and-Web-3-0-cyber-security-risks/

  41. Analyticsinsight.: Amazon. ETH Is on sale for seven figure s! cybersquatting in Web3 is getting serious (2022a). https://www.analyticsinsight.net/amazon-eth-is-on-sale-for-seven-figures-cybersquatting-in-web3-is-getting-serious/

  42. ZDNet.: Social engineering and Web 3.0 security (2022). https://www.zdnet.com/article/social-engineering-attacks-to-dominate-Web3-Metaverse-services/

  43. Wonderlist.: Avoid an avatar hack (2022). https://www.wonderslist.com/avoid-an-avatar-hack/

  44. ContinuityCentral.: Horizon scanning: cyber security and the Metaverse (2022). https://www.continuitycentral.com/index.php/news/technology/7144-horizon-scanning-cyber-security-and-the-Metaverse

  45. Business Insider.: A researcher's avatar was sexually assaulted on a Metaverse platform owned by Meta, making her the latest victim of sexual abuse on Meta's platforms, watchdog says (2022). https://www.businessinsider.com/researcher-claims-her-avatar-was-raped-on-metas-Metaverse-platform-2022-5

  46. MIT Technology Review.: The Metaverse has a groping problem already (2022). https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/16/1042516/the-Metaverse-has-a-groping-problem/

  47. Frontiers with Gamma.: The future technologies we can not put off until tomorrow: the metaverse, NFTs and Deepfakes (2022). https://www.gamma.co.uk/resources/unify/future-technologies-we-can-not-put-off-until-tomorrow/

  48. US Cybersecurity.: Security and hacking issues with metaverse (2022). https://www.uscybersecurity.net/security-and-hacking-issues-with-Metaverse/

  49. ITBusinessEdge.: Potential use cases of blockchain technology for cybersecurity (2021). https://www.itbusinessedge.com/security/potential-use-cases-of-blockchain-technology-for-cybersecurity/

  50. FastCompany.: 5 blockchain security issues and how to prevent them (2022). https://www.fastcompany.com/90722111/5-blockchain-security-issues-and-how-to-prevent-them

  51. Globalsign.: Globalsign blog: cybersecurity and the metaverse: pioneering safely into a new digital world (2022). https://www.globalsign.com/en/blog/cybersecurity-and-Metaverse-pioneering-safely-new-digital-world

  52. Hosting Mag.: IoT devices and cyber attack risks (in Turkish) (2022). https://www.hostingdergi.com.tr/iot-cihazlar-siber-saldiri-riskini-yuzde-300-artiriyor/

  53. Gartner.: Gartner predicts By 2025 cyber attackers will have weaponized operational technology environments to successfully harm or kill humans (2021). https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-07-21-gartner-predicts-by-2025-cyber-attackers-will-have-we

  54. Analyticsinsight.: IoMT devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity risks (2022b). https://www.analyticsinsight.net/iomt-devices-are-vulnerable-to-cybersecurity-risks/

  55. Infoguardsecurity.: What are the cyber risks posed by the metaverse? (2022) https://www.infoguardsecurity.com/what-are-the-cyber-risks-posed-by-the-Metaverse/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TÜBİTAK, Tunus Street No:80 06680 Kavaklıdere, Ankara, Türkiye

    Duygu Saracoglu

Authors
  1. Duygu Saracoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Duygu Saracoglu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye

    Fatih Sinan Esen

  2. Endicott College of International Studies, Woosong University, Daejeon, Korea (Republic of)

    Hasan Tinmaz

  3. College of Engineering Technology Management (ETM), Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech), Oregon, OR, USA

    Madhusudan Singh

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Saracoglu, D. (2023). Metaverse and New Cybersecurity Threats. In: Esen, F.S., Tinmaz, H., Singh, M. (eds) Metaverse. Studies in Big Data, vol 133. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4641-9_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation