Ready Player Bad: The Future Rise of Extremism and Terrorism in the Metaverse

In the not so distant future, the rise of the metaverse will bring multiple opportunities to people and societies all over the world. Through pioneering technologies integrated, it aims to revolutionise and significantly improve our lives. Unfortunately the metaverse can also be exploited and abused to facilitate the operations of extremists and terrorists as it has already happened in social media and online blogs and forums. Using the metaverse’s virtual reality, A.I., digital twins and avatars to their advantage, the various extremist/terrorist organisations and groups can successfully spread their radical ideologies and propaganda, recruit new members and plan their attacks more effectively and with minimum costs. In the metaverse, such operations will have greater impact since the users will be an actual part of the metaverse and therefore fully immersed in it. In this paper, we aim to provide a better understanding of how extremists and terrorists can exploit the metaverse and its services through the usage of appropriate discussion and relevant examples. Concluding, we give some general direction on what needs to be done to prevent such unfortunate scenarios

#HerMetaverseToo - Gender-based Hate and Abuse in the Metaverse: The Case of Female Athletes

Metaverse applications are gaining popularity globally, empowering immersive virtual reality experiences and dynamic social interactions among users. The Metaverse sports arena is also expanding as athletes and their fans extend their interactions from long-established social media to the Metaverse. Unfortunately, the female population is subject to more hate, abuse, and discrimination on social media. A special case concerns female athletes, who are on the receiving end of such acts. Despite the male-dominated sports world, female athletes are generally more engaging with their fans and strive to inspire their audience more actively in comparison to their male counterparts. Inevitably, as female athletes craft their virtual selves, the risks and threats they are currently exposed to on social media may also emerge in the Metaverse. In this paper, we aim to explore how gender-based hate and abuse could potentially manifest in the Metaverse and under what circumstances. Suggested countermeasures are proposed to mitigate potential threats to both female athletes and their fans, also extending on the overall female population’s safety, privacy, mental health, and wellbeing

Fostering Cybersecurity Awareness and Skills Development Through Digital Game-Based Learning

Technological innovations pose several security, safety, and privacy threats. An array of educational games has been developed to raise cybersecurity awareness and promote secure behaviours and knowledge pertinent to prevalent risks. This study explores both the benefits associated with digital game-based learning and the barriers constraining its exploitation. The exploration takes a holistic approach delving into underlying theories, pedagogical frameworks, current research and development efforts, existing cybersecurity games, and a pilot study to gain direct experience into educational cybersecurity game development. The findings highlight key game design features required to foster cybersecurity awareness and skills development across educational, professional, and social contexts

Free Guy or Bad Guy: Safety, Privacy, and Security Risks for Minors in the Metaverse and Prominent Educational Considerations

The opportunities online platforms and services provide to minors for socialisation, entertainment, and education are plentiful. At the same time, the emergence of the Metaverse raises concerns for minors’ security, safety, privacy, and wellbeing. This paper aims to highlight prominent threats to minors on the Internet, and how these can manifest in the Metaverse. The paper also discusses key countermeasures for mitigating these risks emphasising the need for raising awareness and developing resilience through timely, relevant, and dynamically responsive education