Identity Threats in the Metaverse and Future Research Opportunities

The metaverse is the next-generation internet, which can be described as three-dimensional virtual environments that reflect different aspects of the physical world. Users can engage in various experiences while representing themselves as customizable digital avatars. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Twin, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Blockchain are key technologies that power immersion, interoperability, automation, and 3D elements of the metaverse. Recently, the metaverse has gained significant attention from the tech industry, especially with Facebook rebranding to Meta and announcing its vision for the future metaverse. The metaverse has many applications, including gaming, entertainment, shopping, education, healthcare, and work. Despite the revolutionary potential of the metaverse, several cybersecurity and privacy issues are inevitable and need to be addressed. Specifically, this paper focuses on highlighting identity-related risks for metaverse users. First, an overview of the metaverse elements, technologies, and characteristics is presented, along with a proposed definition of what a user’s digital identity represents in the metaverse. Accordingly, potential identity risks and cybersecurity threats are discussed. Finally, AI and biometric authentication techniques are presented as possible solutions and future research opportunities.