37. Hacking and Securing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Applications

Abstract

Virtual and augmented reality stimulates the human senses using a computer to create an immersive simulation that gives the perception of an alternate reality. Currently, these technologies cannot create a truly immersive environment for a subject to experience; however, once the experience is possible, one must consider how attackers could be able to compromise and manipulate the experience. Successfully protecting virtual and augmented reality necessitates making use of an attacker’s perspective in order to secure applications utilizing these types of technologies. Illustrating how compromising virtual reality can affect personal, business, and military applications and explaining how the brain interprets the data produced by virtual and augmented reality applications will be the center of this research study. For example, virtual and augmented reality can be used for personal enjoyment, business presentation or advertising, and military training with remote access of unmanned vehicles. Manipulating the auditory or visual experience, altering a business’ advertisement to produce a negative outcome, and interrupting a video feed to simulate a lost connection are several experiments this research study will utilize. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate how virtual and augmented reality applications may be compromised along with the potential effects a compromise may produce from a technical and psychological perspective.