Trend Micro study warns of the dangers of the dark side of the Metaverse

The Darkverse will be similar to the Metaverse version of the Dark Web, allowing attackers to coordinate and carry out illegal activities.

Global cybersecurity provider Trend Micro released a new report this Monday (08/08) warning about the so-called Darkverse. This is the criminal side of the metaverse, rapidly evolving and potentially fueling a new cybercriminal industry. "The Metaverse is a multibillion-dollar high-tech vision that will define the next generation of the Internet. Yes, because of the high cost and legal challenges, law enforcement will struggle to maintain control of the metaverse in general in the early stages, security must act now or risk the emergence of a new Wild West in our digital portals," said Bill Malek, vice president of Infrastructure Strategy at Trend Micro.

The top five metaverse threats detailed in the report are:

NFTs are subject to phishing, ransomware, fraud and other attacks and will be increasingly targeted as they become a major metaverse of asset regulation.

• The Darkverse will be an ideal location for illegal/criminal activities as it will be difficult for authorities to track, monitor and hack. In fact, it can take years for the police to catch up with you.

• Money laundering with Metaverse assets and expensive NFTs will open up new money laundering opportunities for criminals.

– Social engineering, propaganda and fake news will have a huge impact on the cyber-physical world. Influential narratives are deployed by criminals and state actors who target vulnerable groups sensitive to specific issues. Criminals and state actors will use influential narratives to target vulnerable groups who are sensitive to specific issues.

– Privacy will be reset as Metaverse operators gain unprecedented insights into the behavior of their users; basically, privacy as we know it when they use your world will no longer exist.

As envisioned by Trend Micro, the Darkverse will resemble a dark web version of the Metaverse, allowing threat actors to coordinate and carry out illegal activities with impunity.

Without the proper authentication codes, it is impossible for the police to infiltrate the underground markets operating in the Darkverse. As users can only access the Darkverse at a specific physical location, this provides additional protection for a closed criminal community.

This can provide a safe haven for a variety of threats, from financial and e-commerce fraud to NFT theft, ransomware, and more. The cyber-physical nature of the metaverse will also open new doors for threat actors.

Cybercriminals may attempt to compromise or blackmail industrial systems by compromising digital twins operated by critical infrastructure operators. Alternatively, the malware can be implemented in the full-body suits of Metaverse users to inflict bodily harm. Avatar thefts have been reported many times.

A full Metaverse is still years away, but Metaverse-like rooms will become commonplace much sooner. Trend Micro's report is about to launch an urgent dialogue about potential cyber threats and how to mitigate them.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• How will we organize user activity and speech in the virtual world? Who should be responsible?

• How will copyright infringement be monitored and enforced?

• How can a user know if they are interacting with a real human or a bot? Will there be a Turing test to validate AI/humans?

• Is there a way to protect privacy by preventing Metaverse from being taken over by big tech companies?

• How can law enforcement overcome the high costs of intercepting large-scale metaverse crimes and solving jurisdiction-related issues?