Post COVID-19: 4 Emerging New-Age Tech Security Challenges

If you’re like the majority of the world’s population, you’re probably cooped up in your home, wondering when life will return to normal. We hate to break it to you, but the new ‘normal’ won’t be so normal. The virtual workforce explosion has not only altered our everyday lives, but restructured entire industries and created new workforce demands.

One of the many shifts this new ‘normal’ is expected to bring surrounds augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Digi-Capital predicts the AR/VR market to reach $65 billion by 2024, and that the next two years will be largely impacted by COVID-19 related factors. One of the most obvious factors, online communication services and tools, have already seen an increase in the demand for AR/VR. Whether people are working in manufacturing, healthcare, automotive or simply looking to communicate with distant family and friends, AR/VR are two new-age technologies that offer advanced digital reality.

Another industry that will look to enhance its use of AR/VR is education. As schools and universities across the nation close their doors and turn to virtual classrooms, eLearning platforms will look to support teachers and students by enabling immersive experiences through AR/VR applications. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Like all new-age technologies, AR/VR will stir up some security challenges of their own:

Data Privacy: AR/VR technology is constantly collecting meaningful information on the user, whether it’s geo-location, gesture recognition or feedback to improve user experience. Currently, there are no rules or guidelines that explicitly dictate how companies must manage and control customer data. Without strict data regulations and guidelines on AR/VR applications, security and compliance slip, exposing networks and their data to hackers.
Impersonation / Deepfakes: Remember the Facebook deepfake ban? That was only a minor solution to a much larger, distant problem. The power of tracking sensors in VR applications will allow deepfakes to become much more convincing, recreating facial movements and body language to trick just about anyone. Once again, we would need rock-solid security measures to prevent identity theft and impersonation.
User Authentication: As more devices become exposed to AR/VR enabled applications, the complexity around security increases. Hackers can easily copy an avatar to impersonate a user, whether it’s the CEO of a company or a teacher leading an online class. This enhances the necessity of not only individual device security and effective security practices, but integrating identity management with authentication systems and possibly network encryption, depending on the data and system.
DDoS Attacks: VR learning environment applications are extremely susceptible to DDoS attacks. In critical situations involving surgical procedures or operating machinery, DDoS attacks can disrupt the infrastructure, resulting in life threatening implications.

Carolina Advanced Digital offers a breadth of security solutions to address current and future threats, including virtual CISO consulting, security awareness and phishing platforms, security reviews and assessments, SIEM, DDoS protection, and professional and managed services. Contact us today to schedule a free call with a team member to discuss your needs.