Identity in the metaverse at risk, says former Windows architect
The metaverse is coming for users at full speed. Companies and brands are jumping into digital reality, and according to a recent survey, consumer interest is climbing alongside all the activity.
At the same time, as more users join in on metaverse activity, the risk grows for nefarious activity in digital reality. A report from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed that exploitation and abuse in the metaverse are set to rise in the next year.
Threats range from scams, to be expected with digital interactions but also avatar-related identity theft and abuse.
For a better understanding of the dangers and risks users can face stepping into digital reality, Cointelegraph spoke with Andrew Newman, chief technology officer and co-founder of cybersecurity firm ReasonLabs and former architect of Microsoft’s Windows Defender anti-malware software.
The primary concept users must understand is that metaverse identity is “likely to become users’ digital identity,” according to Newman:
He highlighted that avatar scams have already been reported on platforms like Roblox. The example given by Newman was that the hacker may try to convince a user that they need access to their avatar for a number of reasons, with the ultimate aim of stealing their digital identity.
Although it’s a common occurrence to have digital identity threats, as money or virtual currencies become tied to metaverse avatars, these threats will increase. Newman warns consumers as more money is spent on digital assets for these avatars
The amount and various types of digital assets with real value that users can own are endlessly expanding. This incites that cyber crimes and theft will only become more complex and digital reality expands.
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