Digital forensics

Computer Forensics: Online Gaming and VR Forensics

Ifeanyi Egede
March 1, 2018 by
Ifeanyi Egede

Introduction

With the expansion of technology, such as virtual reality simulators, it’s only natural that with progress comes setbacks, especially when it comes to security breaches. With the VR expansion booming, experts and scientists are looking for new as to how it can be used as a Security tool in the gaming industries.

The most recent attacks on the Xbox and PlayStation platforms can be considered as additional proof that the online gaming industry has become a prime target for the Cyber attacker. One of their methods is searching for covert pathways that will lead to an interference and chaos with online operating support.

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In this mayhem that could be created, passwords and bank account information can be easily stolen, which can be sold on the Dark Web. It is estimated that the entire number of users making use of online gaming platforms is between 2.2 and 2.6 billion users.

The number of users being online continuously has recently increased by 10% when compared to the data Kaspersky Lab gathered in 2016. According to the report of Immersive Technologies and the Future of Cybersecurity, the coming generations have no clue about their online safety when it comes to gaming sites.

The Information Security Forum, a global independent security body, predicted a significant rise in the number of security threats that companies and individuals will be facing in the coming years.

Lack of Professional Staff

The HR factor is one of the largest Security issues which companies are continually facing today. The unfulfilled expectations of upper management does not allow for an understanding of the necessity for increases in IT security budgets.

However, with the advances in new technology, such as that of VR, businesses and corporations will be embracing an entirely new perspective on internet security.

The Future is Now

Virtual reality simulators have moved well beyond being simple gamer tools. According to the Forensic magazine, this technology has exceptional capabilities to provide strong support for a variety of forensic activities. The recent developments of both VR and AR (augmented reality) has allowed scientists to develop unique surroundings for a variety of targeted domains where the protection of private information is critical.

It is a known fact that VR is not a new revelation. The idea was conceived of in the early 1970s for creating a tool which would utilize maximum hardware and software cooperation for creating virtual reality environments.

From the time that this concept was deemed as pure fiction, we have now advanced to the point where smart technology is expanding in a variety of fields. From driving lessons to applications in medicine, VR is enhancing the quality of performance in many different industries.

The organization of different interfaces and data structures is becoming much more complex, especially with the rise in metadata on the internet. One of the ways companies could cope with this issue is to invest in the development of VR technologies that would allow for a three-dimensional overview of this particular data. In the past, analysts used simple log files as basic tools (which included timestamps and text strings) in order to keep track of complex data sets.

Even though collecting this data is not as much of an issue now, if there is a Security breach or a Cyber-attack, the investigation process takes up much time and effort. In addition, there is a high risk of error even with the searching and correlation of these complex datasets.

Benefits of the Technology

Using virtual reality in cyber security can allow analysts to read through significantly larger number of datasets which are generated by different security products. For example, data can be gathered, correlated and visually presented in a much more organized and intuitive way.

As a result, the time that is needed for detection-triage and resolution workflows is going to be significantly reduced. Finally, the benefits from space orientation in VR simulators will allow cybersecurity analysts to go through virtual cities and blocks of data, accessing everything with a touch of hand, or even with mind control.

 

References

https://www.protectwise.com/experience/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/information-security-forum-forecasts-2018-global-security-threat-outlook-300562342.html

https://hackernoon.com/predictions-for-this-2018-in-virtual-reality-9a6bcdf9734c

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3221367/security/the-new-reality-is-virtual-for-security-operations-centers.html

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-25512-5

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7473532/

https://www.cbronline.com/cybersecurity/breaches/cyber-attack-hits-xbox-playstation-details-2-5-million-gamers-hacked/

https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2018_poor-password-protection-leaves-online-gamers-exposed-to-hack-attacks

https://cdn.press.kaspersky.com/files/2017/11/4114_B2C_Report_2017_WEB.pdf

https://ukie.org.uk/research

https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/12/exploring-virtual-reality-forensic-tool

https://www.immersivesecurity.com

https://www.wsj.com/articles/virtual-reality-finally-catches-onwith-businesses-1496664000

https://cybersecurityventures.com/jobs/

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/delltechnologies/2018/01/17/cyber-expert-shortage-leaves-networks-vulnerable/#4c13276a3a3e

Ifeanyi Egede
Ifeanyi Egede

Ifeanyi Egede is an experienced and versatile freelance writer and researcher on security related issues with tons of published works both online and in the print media. He has close to a decade of writing experience. When he is not writing, he spends time with his lovely wife and kids. Learn more about how Ifeanyi Egede could be of help to your business at ifeanyi2excel@gmail.com.