Augmented Reality: What to Know About the Latest Frontier in Cybersecurity

Augmented reality brings cybersecurity concepts to life in an educational setting with interactive digital layers.

Augmented reality (AR) once seemed like a fantastical future, but the groundbreaking technology has become an exciting reality with the potential to integrate with and transform multiple industries. AR can change the way we interact with everything from gaming to education to cybersecurity. 

Augmented reality in cybersecurity, especially, presents a new frontier with numerous benefits and challenges. Let’s take a look at what AR is, how it’s being used in various industries, and the benefits and challenges this cool technology presents to cybersecurity. 

What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality is an innovative technology that allows digital information to seamlessly integrate into a user’s real-world environment in real-time. A user can interact with and immerse themselves into AR throughout their daily routine.

AR aims to enrich your environment without completely replacing it. For example, Pokémon Go is one of the first games to use augmented reality. It allows users to interact with the game and its characters in the real world. 

Some AR tools are “wearable,” such as Google Glass. All AR tools use cameras, digital displays, and sensors to give users an immersive, real-time experience.

A brief history of augmented reality

Although AR has only become accessible to the general public in recent years, the first AR device, the “Sword of Damocles” was invented in 1968. 

This head-mounted device combined both augmented reality and virtual reality (VR), and included a viewfinder through which users could experience rudimentary computer graphics overlaid on their real-world views. 

Groundbreaking for the 1960s, the Sword of Damocles wasn’t exactly “user-friendly,” and was so heavy it had to be suspended from the ceiling. However, it paved the way for modern augmented reality devices and ushered in a new era of technology.

Real-world examples of augmented reality apps and devices

Today, augmented reality apps and devices aren’t in every household, but there are plenty of AR tools on the market and the technology continues to rapidly evolve. Some examples of augmented reality apps and devices available today include:

  • ARKit 6 on iPhone: ARKit 6 is a tool for iPhone users that utilizes 4K video to capture high-resolution backgrounds and videos of AR experiences. This tool is equipped with a LIDAR Scanner that offers real-time updates per-pixel depth data about your environment. ARKit 6 allows users of the iPhone 12 and beyond to enjoy instant AR placement, blended seamlessly with your surroundings. 
  • Apple Vision Pro: The Apple Vision Pro headset uses a combination of AR and VR features. Its AR capabilities include cameras and sensors that detect your real-world surroundings and the ability to interact with virtual applications and objects in your physical space.
  • Lightform: Lightform is an extremely popular augmented reality projector platform that allows users from a wide variety of professions to project AR images onto real-world surfaces. Its real-world applications include augmented reality art, interactive experiences, and AR light shows.
Augmented reality provides medical students with interactive 3D models of human anatomy for immersive learning.

Real-world uses for augmented reality   

The numerous capabilities of augmented reality provide for diverse use in a variety of industries. Here are some examples of how different industries use AR: 

  • Architecture: AR helps architects create and visualize their projects in 3D. It can show, for example, how new commercial buildings can integrate with an existing urban environment.
  • Education: Augmented reality tools are great for creating interactive learning materials, 3D models, and real-time guidance and support for remote learning environments.
  • Entertainment: Digital elements can enhance live or streaming events like concerts and plays. They can also create an immersive experience in TV shows.
  • Gaming: AR allows real-world gaming experiences with digital elements that gamers can interact with in the real world.
  • Healthcare: Augmented reality offers surgeons assistance in complex procedures by providing real-time visual information and procedure simulations.
  • Manufacturing: Augmented reality helps various manufacturing professionals, like engineers and technicians, work remotely on collaborative projects by providing project visualization and simulated training environments.
  • Retail: AR tools allow customers to virtually try on clothes and accessories, tour homes, and interact with products before purchasing.

Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality

Augmented reality and virtual reality are both advanced technologies that can alter our perception of reality. Although they’re often used together to create a simulated environment, they work in different ways.

Augmented reality doesn’t replace your real-world environment, but integrates it with digital information. On the other hand, virtual reality creates an entirely simulated and fully immersive fictional world.

Augmented reality:

  • Allows you to interact with your real surroundings and real people but enhances your experience with digital elements.
  • Can be accessed with devices like smartphones, tablets, and AR glasses.
  • Is used in applications, interactive games, and remote assistance.

Virtual reality:

  • Disconnects you from your real-world surroundings and transports you into a virtual world.
  • Requires specific hardware like VR controllers and headsets.
  • Is used for applications like virtual meetings, games, and simulated training programs.
Augmented reality captures and verifies biometric data such as facial recognition for secure logins.

Benefits and risks of augmented reality in cybersecurity

The new frontier of augmented reality brings both challenges and exciting possibilities to cybersecurity. AR can be a useful tool for cybersecurity and enhance security measures. However, it also presents new vulnerabilities that could increase cyberattacks.

By understanding the benefits and risks of augmented reality in cybersecurity, you can explore this new frontier and avoid falling victim to cyberattacks. 

Benefits of AR

Some of the benefits of AR as a cybersecurity tool include:

  • Cybersecurity Training: AR tools can create simulations of cybersecurity threats like malware and phishing attacks. This can train your organization’s security team and employees how to detect and avoid these threats.
  • Enhanced Identity Verification Measures: Verification systems use AR to capture biometric data, like fingerprint and facial recognition, for continuous identity authentication. Biometric data protection helps to improve identity theft prevention when signing into protected accounts.
  • Data Protection: Cybersecurity professionals often use Augmented reality in conjunction with virtual reality to simulate digital environments. Using AR allows them to analyze and test system vulnerabilities to increase data protection.
  • Real Time Network Monitoring: Augmented reality visualizes network activity, security alerts, and system logs in real-time. This allows for quick threat detection and response.
  • Threat Detection and Visualization: AR tools can enhance real-time threat detection and visualization by overlaying security data onto a network’s physical layout.

Risks of AR

The risks of augmented reality in cybersecurity include:

  • Data Breaches: AR systems collect enormous amounts of personal data. This includes behavior analysis, biometric data, and the physical location of users. Cybercriminals might target AR vulnerabilities to track or steal this data, and expose your personal information via data breaches.
  • Deepfake Attacks: Criminals can use both AI and AR to create deepfakes that target unsuspecting victims through catfishing scams, sophisticated phishing attacks, and more.
  • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: A man-in-the-middle attack (MITM) occurs when a bad actor intercepts online communication to “eavesdrop” and intercept data and/or manipulate messages. AR can create vulnerabilities for MITMs, especially when used for consistent remote communication.
  • Malware Infections: AR systems often use cloud connectivity and remote communication. Hackers can target vulnerabilities for vicious malware attacks.
  • Social Engineering Attacks: Criminals can use AR to create sophisticated phishing attacks that use social engineering (human hacking) tactics to manipulate you and exploit your trust. Social engineering attacks can result in stolen identity, financial theft, and other devastating consequences.

How to mitigate AR cybersecurity risks

As the new frontier in cybersecurity, augmented reality offers phenomenal opportunities for security enhancement. Although the technology presents threat risks, taking proactive steps to manage these risks can help to protect organizations and individual AR users alike.

Here are some measures that can help to mitigate AR cybersecurity risks:

  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Regular audits of third-party AR provider software
  • Regularly updated AR software and hardware security patches
  • Restricted access
  • Strong data leak protection (encrypt your data)
  • System monitoring and response

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