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The cybersecurity dangers of the metaverse: is your organization ready?

By Mark Brownlee

Don’t care about participating in the metaverse? That’s up to you.

What’s not up to you, though, is the fact that cyber criminals are exploiting it to try to attack your employees and networks.

The metaverse has only been around for a short time, but it’s already created major cybersecurity concerns that information technology professionals need to be ready to counter.

OK, so what is the metaverse?

The metaverse is basically a digital world. You can log in from almost any real-world device (such as a laptop, phone or tablet) and do…almost anything: attend a concert, have a conversation, join a meeting. You can even spend money on digital “land”.

It’s not just for having fun, either. Many organizations are embracing the metaverse as a way of collaborating with colleagues or wooing potential customers, including everything from every day meetings to virtual parties.

And while “the metaverse” is the term that’s used in pop culture, it’s actually a little misleading. There isn’t one single place where people log on, but rather a variety of digital worlds that private companies have created.

What are the main cybersecurity risks of the metaverse?

There’s a lot of disagreement about what the metaverse means for the future of our lives. But one thing is clear: the metaverse is new and largely unregulated by what we could consider normal laws.

That’s what is causing so many cybersecurity concerns. Cyber criminals are exploiting the unknown and unregulated nature of the metaverse to attack organizations and exploit individuals.

Here are the main risks to your network you need to be wary of:

Scams

Many organizations tied to the metaverse are brand new. That’s allowed cyber criminals to exploit the unknown to target people, particularly with phishing scams.

That means you need to be extra-vigilant for employees who might be tempted into clicking on phishing links tied to scams related to the metaverse.

Privacy

The metaverse is not just creating real-world cybersecurity challenges. It’s also raising concerns about what happens for those who participate in the metaverse.

The unregulated nature of the metaverse has created a goldmine for scammers and fraudsters, who have used the platforms to target the personal information people have used to log on to the sites.

That means that if people are logging in to the metaverse—either for work purposes or not—it could leave your organization’s data exposed.

Identity theft

The metaverse has also created a proliferation of concerns around identity theft. Even if you’re not participating in the metaverse, somebody could create a digital version of you to scam others.

Or, if your employees or even your organization are choosing to participate, it could lead to them unwillingly giving up sensitive organizational information to someone who might appear to be trustworthy but, in reality, is a cyber criminal.

OK, what can I do to keep my organization secure?

The metaverse may be new. But the most effective ways to protect yourself against the cybersecurity challenges it presents are tried and true best practices.

The first protection you can put in place? Educating your users so they can identify threats.

For this, cybersecurity awareness training is your best bet. Since it places such a heavy emphasis on phishing, this will also help your employees and other users to protect against the phishing threats the metaverse presents.

The second is some sort of content and threat filtering tool, such as DNS security. Even the most cyber security-conscious employees can sometimes fall victim to well-targeted cyber attacks. DNS security can help to combat these threats by sending users to a block page instead of a threat page.

Many DNS security tools also come with advanced threat feeds that constantly identify new threats. Metaverse scams are constantly changing, so having an artificial intelligence-driven tool for combatting these threats is essential.

Conclusion: Staying secure in the real universe

The metaverse might seem confusing (or even annoying, if you’re tired of hearing about it all the time).

But by doubling down on cybersecurity fundamentals—such as with DNS filtering and cyber awareness training—you can ensure you keep your organization secure in the only universe that really matters.

Interested in cyber awareness training and DNS security? Learn more about CIRA Cybersecurity Services.

About the author
Mark Brownlee

Mark Brownlee is a Product Marketing Manager with CIRA Cybersecurity Services. His work, which focuses on the CIRA DNS Firewall and Canadian Shield products, is dedicated to helping protect people and organizations in Canada from cyber threats. His background is in marketing strategy, communications planning and advertising best practices.

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