Page 31 - EngineerIT December 2022

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Metaverse needs a security foundation to realise

its full potential

Carla Petersen, Channel Manager F5 at Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa

he Metaverse, a virtual reality environment where people can live, work, shop, and
interact with one another, is in its infancy in South Africa. And yet, more than 16%
Tof adults have already experimented with it. This is roughly the same number who
are active on online dating sites that are already considered mainstream. But what are
the cybersecurity implications to consider when moving to the Metaverse?
A recent F5 survey of IT decision-makers on emerging technology has highlighted how
US organisations have already begun to embrace the Metaverse as the next frontier for
business, retail, entertainment, healthcare and education. Already, people have started
dating in the Metaverse, buying clothes for their avatars, and looking at digital properties.
For their part, brands are helping to create digital twins for individuals to visit a
virtual store when the physical one is too far away. With fully-fledged e-commerce
capabilities around the corner, the Metaverse is an exciting environment that can be
capitalised on. In the case of malicious users, the ‘Wild West’ nature of the Metaverse Carla Petersen
means it is ripe to be exploited, with companies and individuals at risk.
agreed that they could continue business
Virtual landgrab operations in the event of a significant
With 51% of those companies surveyed expecting to be operating in the Metaverse cyberattack in the Metaverse.
within the next five years or sooner, the survey findings also show that larger
organisations are likely to be further along with their transition to this virtual Positive thinking
environment. It is not all doom and gloom. Respondents
This is for a good reason. According to McKinsey, the Metaverse can generate up to are aware that the Metaverse brings
$5 trillion in value by 2030. Furthermore, it writes that 95% of business leaders expect with it a degree of vulnerability. But this
the Metaverse to positively impact their industry within the next five to 10 years. is part and parcel of using advanced
However, the Metaverse’s potential to fuel growth, innovation and emerging industries technologies. In the same way technology
will significantly be constrained if cybersecurity does not form part of the foundation evolves, so do the threats it faces. The
from which it is to evolve. Metaverse is no different.
It is not surprising that the Metaverse will likely result in new types of cyberattacks For the Metaverse to ascend, it must
being perpetrated. Imagine the crime possibilities of a world filled with virtual reality be continuously designed and shaped
storefronts and augmented digital experiences. If a criminal floods a metaverse business by seamless and secure solutions.
front with avatars, could that significantly hinder the operations of a casino, bank, or Moreover, companies must address
healthcare portal? What will ransomware look like in the Metaverse? security, privacy and reliability concerns
Given how many local businesses are yet to think of cybersecurity as more than just when embarking on their metaverse
an anti-virus and firewall, ensuring they are safe in the Metaverse will take some doing. journeys. As long as investment and
As they navigate this new virtual world, business and technology leaders still need to innovation in cybersecurity go hand-
understand the threats to people and companies. With physical and digital experiences in-hand with the development of the
becoming more intertwined, there is no stopping cyber criminals from looking to underlying technologies, companies will
leverage advanced technologies to exploit unsuspecting users. feel comforted that work is being done to
secure the environment.
Security challenges Removing complexity with visibility
IT teams are watching all this unfold with bated breath. For all its potential, the and automation will help tremendously,
Metaverse introduces fresh complexity in an already challenging environment. The as will protecting apps, data and
F5 survey has found that security concerns, data privacy risks, and a lack of end-user individuals with artificial intelligence,
interest are contributing to the slow adoption of the Metaverse. machine learning and thoughtful security
Additionally, six in 10 say the Metaverse has introduced security challenges their policies. A security-first approach is
companies may not be equipped to address. Perhaps more concerning is that more than imperative for companies looking at the
one in three respondents admitted that their company has already been attacked in Metaverse as a growth opportunity in
relation to the Metaverse. Adding further fuel to this fire is that only 29% of respondents South Africa.

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