DIGITAL LIFE

Europol warned the police about the cyber-threats of the metaverse

The coming wave of internet experiences dubbed the "metaverse" could be a magnet for ransomware, identity theft, money laundering and more, Europol has warned.

A new report by Europol's Innovation Lab, which was established in 2019, entitled "Policing in the Metaverse: What Law Enforcement Needs to Know", urges police to start thinking now about the challenges and opportunities created by the metaverse.

The report cites data from Gartner that predicts that by 2026, a quarter (25%) of people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse. However, money and people will also attract cybercriminals.

The report specifically warned of the increased threat of ransomware attacks on devices such as VR headsets, identity theft and fraud enabled by stealing users' biometric data and creating more realistic dipfakes, money laundering through a range of decentralized, specialized cryptocurrencies as well as NFT tokens, harassment, abuse and exploitation of children, including the sharing of sexual abuse content and the potential use of tactile technology to physically interact with victims, terrorist propaganda, recruitment and training, and targeted disinformation.

But despite the potential for cybercriminals and others to abuse the metaverse, police are also hoping for new ways to fight crime more effectively.

This includes the potential for improved collaboration between remote police teams, more realistic “virtual” training programs and the use of virtual crime scenes to better understand key events during trials by judges and juries.

The report even suggested that the metaverse could be used to rehabilitate criminals who could help create awareness and empathy for the experiences of victims.

"The metaverse will bring us new ways of interacting and completely new (virtual) worlds to live in, potentially transforming our lives, just as the internet has done for the last three decades," said Catherine De Bol, Europol's executive director. "This report will undoubtedly help police chiefs, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers begin to understand this new environment so they can begin to adapt and prepare for policing in the metaverse."

mundophone