Biometrics: the key to creating secure digital identities in the metaverse

By Deepak Gupta, CTO & Co-Founder of LoginRadius

The digital world is getting more real as we move towards a new era of virtual reality. Soon, people and businesses will enter a parallel universe called the metaverse, and present themselves as their avatars—3D representations of themselves—and companies will expand their reach in this new reality.

But as with any new technology, there are two sides to every invention. On one side, you will be able to customize your avatar and appearance in the metaverse completely. But on the other, what about security? How do you protect your personal data in such an open virtual environment? How can you ensure that your identities are secure when interacting with other people and businesses on an entirely different level than you’ve ever experienced before?

The answer lies in biometrics.

Though the conventional authentication mechanisms are pretty potent in preventing a breach, nothing beats biometrics and its robustness when it comes to securing digital identities in the metaverse.

Let’s figure out the role of biometric authentication in the new virtual reality and what businesses need to know about digital identity in the metaverse.

What digital identity in the metaverse will look like

The digital identity debate is heating up. The metaverse, or Web 3.0, promises individuals control over their data, which means that no one can have access to your private information without your permission.

But does this mean individual ownership of data is a good thing? What does it mean for privacy? And how will it be regulated?

There’s a race to create a universal digital identity solution for the metaverse, but so far, no clear standard has emerged as the leader.

Why biometric authentication matters for metaverse?

Biometrics is a subset of this larger category of digital identity management. It involves using unique physical characteristics like fingerprints or facial features to identify people.

Biometric technology has been used for years in security systems around the world—think retina scans at airports or fingerprints on smartphones—but now we’re seeing more companies using it for employee access control as well as customer service applications like digital banking services or online shopping websites where buying certain products requires verification through a scan of your fingerprint or face before a purchase can be completed.

The increasing number of social engineering attacks and other security threats severely impact how businesses authenticate and authorize their users online. And when it comes to the metaverse, things are swiftly becoming worse since cybercriminals are targeting weak lines of authentication security.

The consumer-facing malware could lead to compromised identities if a business leaves a loophole in the overall authentication process. Although many businesses are concerned about the underlying security and authentication risks in the metaverse, most aren’t taking appropriate steps to mitigate them.

Here’s where the need for a robust identity management solution with biometric authentication comes into play.

With biometric authentication, users can quickly and securely authenticate themselves through face recognition or fingerprint scanning. And this minimizes the chances of identity theft up to a great extent since no two individuals may have similar biological features.

The time to develop biometrics standards in the metaverse is now!

Biometrics is at the center of creating secure digital identities in the metaverse because it offers an easy way for people to prove their identity without having access to passwords or PIN codes.

Biometrics relies on unique biological parameters such as fingerprints, voice, and facial features, unlike passwords that can be stolen or guessed. No two individuals can have similar biological parameters. And since it is robust, it has the slightest chance of being compromised.

The demand for the use of biometrics has increased over the years due to its numerous advantages over traditional password-based systems. Brands can invoke the true potential of this technology for securing billions of identities through a robust identity management system without compromising the user experience in the metaverse.

Final thoughts

The metaverse ecosystem is rapidly growing, but this growth comes with associated risks.

• First, there is an increased risk of identity theft and fraud as users interact with one another in virtual spaces.
• Second, cybercriminals may target metaverse networks in order to steal personal information or access sensitive company data.
• Third, there’s always the possibility that hackers will use phishing tactics to gain access to sensitive information or even bring down the entire system by attacking an individual game or server.

As companies, governments and regulators make decisions today that affect how individuals and companies engage in immersive experiences tomorrow, their actions will determine the potential of the metaverse and consumer adoption.

Hint: Biometric authentication will help. And, global data regulations will need some updating, too.

About the author

Deepak Gupta is the CTO and co-founder of LoginRadius, a rapidly-expanding Customer Identity Management provider. He’s dedicated to innovating LoginRadius’ platform, and loves foosball and winning poker games! Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

DISCLAIMER: Biometric Update’s Industry Insights are submitted content. The views expressed in this post are that of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Biometric Update.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  cybersecurity  |  deepfakes  |  digital identity  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  LoginRadius  |  metaverse