Emergence of Darkverse
Although a fully-fledged metaverse is still some years away, metaverse-like spaces will be commonplace much sooner. The metaverse is going to be one more means for fraudsters to conduct disinformation campaigns, launch cyberattacks, and steal money. The “Darkeverse” is expected to arrive, according to Trend Micro researchers.
Even though the metaverse has not yet been widely adopted, the online community it promotes forges connections with evil purpose. Beyond its potential for entertainment and business, the metaverse must also deal with some users’ propensity for illicit activities. Cybercriminals might look to compromise the “digital twin” spaces run by critical infrastructure operators, for sabotage or extortion of industrial systems. In fact, this future virtual environment is viewed by cybercriminals as a genuine possibility to carry out all types of cyberattacks. Numerous analysts agree that it is a given that a number of cybercriminal groups will operate in the metaverse.
In addition to its incredible evolution, the metaverse has created new opportunities for hackers, con artists, and other types of criminals. The metaverse will be affected by attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) for extortion, “ransomware,” API abuse, and devices that are easy to hack. Because these methods are well-known and easy to understand, they may be the first ones that bad people use.These individuals create secluded locations to promote criminal activity or interact with other offenders. The Darkverse is what we refer to as these areas.
Like the Darkweb, the Darkverse will be a place where unlawful activities will be facilitated and carried out. Free speech against repressive organisations or governments could likewise be exercised through it.
We imagine the metaverse to be a dark place, governed and controlled by authentication tokens for restricted access and covert communications via tools like proximity messaging or other untraceable, decentralised techniques. Darkverse might develop into a haven for criminals without access for law enforcement. It might serve as a location for shady markets in the metaverse. Without the proper token, law enforcement would be unable to enter these areas even if they learned about them. There may be even more obstacles in the way of finding some criminals than anticipated. Users would likely need authentication credentials in order to access the marketplaces, which may be used for unlawful or criminal activities. Without authentication credentials, law enforcement authorities would not be able to access these places, even if they were aware of them.
Similar to the Darkweb, the Darkverse would not be indexed by common search engines and search most likely would take place entirely within the Metaverse. Because users are “physically” present, it is potentially riskier than the Darkweb. As opposed to the solely online open discussion threads in the criminal forums of the Darkweb, it simulates covert physical contacts.
As per Trend Micro, Darkverse could become a platform for cyber threats, including:
· NFTs will be hit by phishing, ransom, fraud and other attacks, which will be increasingly targeted as they become an important metaverse commodity to regulate ownership.
· The darkverse will become the go-to place for conducting illegal/ criminal activities because it will be difficult to trace, monitor and infiltrate by law enforcement. In fact, it may be years before the police catch up.
· Money laundering using overpriced metaverse real estate and NFTs will provide a new outlet for criminals to clean cash.
· Social engineering, propaganda and fake news will profoundly impact a cyber-physical world. Influential narratives will be employed by criminals and state actors targeting vulnerable groups who are sensitive to certain topics.
· Privacy will be redefined, as metaverse-like space operators will have unprecedented visibility into user actions — essentially, when using their worlds, there will be zero privacy as we know it.
Source — Trend Micro report on Darkverse
