part
Abstract
Virtual Reality is becoming more affordable and will soon
become ubiquitous within society. However, currently the
technology is not there yet, as virtual reality can pose security
and privacy risks to a user which they may not be aware of.
In Virtual Reality, information is always being collected,
even when the user may believe the headset is turned off. Modern day headsets, are “always on”. This allows
for companies to gain access to data without proper consent
from the users or bystanders around the headset. This data
can be sold to third parties, used for internal data analytics or even stolen through a man in the middle attack.
With the sheer quantity of data being collected, it is very
plausible that the collection of virtual reality data may even
lead to adjustments of quality, pricing of items and targeted
advertisements.
The attacks and misuse of infrared sensors data on the
Head Mount Display (HMD) also pose a real threat to a user’s
security and privacy. An individual could become a victim to blackmail, due to the clarity of the infrared image. For
example, the appearance, facial expressions and the surroundings, can be seen with sufficient detail which could
lead to non-consensual data collection of both the user and
their environment.
