Even though today these technologies don’t pose so many security and privacy risks, in the next few years, as their popularity increases, they could be prone to real threats.
#1. Eye Tracking
Some are saying that eye tracking in VR will be a game changer. Why? Because it improves accuracy and the user experience and facilitates dynamic focus or understanding the players’ emotions so developers can craft better VR experiences. Others are also thinking that eye tracking in VR will even increase the security in these systems, in the sense that eye scanning can be used as a biometric identifier, enabling users to safely log in using this method.
But does gaze tracking have anything else to do with VR besides the monitoring done for the purpose of playing games and other similar activities? Well, it could have. For instance, advertisements could be easily included in VR games, just like they are displayed in regular mobile games. Your interest in a certain brand would be expressed much better than through the traditional clicking on an online banner – advertisers could be able to see more accurately how you perceive an ad.
According to Gerald Zaltman, 95% of purchase decisions happen in the subconscious mind. And one of the best ways for marketers to take a peek into the unconscious of consumers is by using eye tracking technologies. This way, market researchers can literally see through their customers’ eyes.
#2. Blackmailing / Sextorsion
Malicious actors may take advantage of the industry’s popularity and resort to sextorsion. This means they would try to trick you into believing they have proof you’ve visited adult websites and urge you to pay them so they don’t leak the content. Sometimes, they would even attach a password you’ve been using, which was stolen from a data breach, to make the email scam look more legitimate. But don’t worry, even though it can be an unpleasant experience to receive such an email, keep in mind this is fake.
#3. Altering reality
AR glasses can display a visual indicator of the temperature of your cooking pan. They can sense if you’re low on certain kitchen supplies and order more for you. They are able to simulate an experience where you are in a movie theater when instead you are watching a film on your 42-inch TV. Owners are able to alter their looks, removing facial imperfections or show themselves as being thinner to other AR glasses users.
But the more popular a technology becomes, problems also arise. In Gewirtz’s world, adult movies vendors side-load apps onto the smart glasses platform, which allow users to make people look like someone else – for instance like a celebrity, or appear naked. Gender or race change hacks also become available. The appearance of violence and other gruesome details can also be shown. Malicious actors trick drivers into thinking a road went straight when, actually, there is a tight curve coming up, causing serious accidents.
Fortunately, these are just some imaginary scenarios for now. But how far are we from this kind of reality?
#4. Fake identities / Deepfakes
Advances in facial recognition and machine learning now allow the manipulation of voices and appearances of people, resulting in what may look like genuine footage. In short, this is what the deepfake technology is based on.
Of course, you can easily spot these as fake. But soon enough, through the power of tracking sensors found in VR systems, deepfakes could get much more convincing. Motion tracking sensors could record the movement of someone and use it against them to create digital replicas.
References:
https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/vr-ar-security-privacy-risks/
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