‘Securing’ The Metaverse For Enterprises: Adoption Perspectives
Prajod Vettiyattil
Principal Architect (Strategic Center)
Introduction
Amidst the peaking curiosity metaverse has generated among global internet users, the digital world is steadily being reshaped, redefined, and revolutionized by the metaverse.
Metaverse is an internet-hosted, dynamic, interactive 3D environment allowing users to dive into a simulated yet real-world-like experience. This pioneering new frontier of the digital age proffers new user experience avenues, breaking physical barriers and exceeding the limited spectrum of 2D web pages on laptop screens and/or mobile applications with several emerging use cases.
We analyze diverse mechanisms for enterprise adoption of the versatile metaverse technology for an immersive digital experience that leads headlong into a collaborative, diverse realm of the future of the internet while emphasizing advanced security protocols in every step of its implementation.
Hosting Metaverses: A Decentralized Approach
Metaverse is a shared, collaborative environment grounded on a forward-looking decentralized mechanism. Without a single owner, the metaverse democratizes the digital experience, expanding the freedom and possibilities for the users to explore its facets. Decentraland and other popular metaverses operate distributed and decentralized, with no sole server or data storage provider network. Numerous metaverse platforms, such as Sandbox, Somnium Space, and Spatial, thus, enhance the diversity of choices for users. Likewise, even small metaverse hosts, like Framevr, Mootup, and Gmetri, must be adopted with a decentralized mechanism. The server network and accompanying data stored on the servers are controlled by the single entity that runs those servers.
Safeguarding Data Security
Data security is a big concern for enterprises worldwide. The level to which an enterprise can protect and secure data under its stewardship impacts its credibility with customers and partners. Additionally, local and international government regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) must be complied with. Enterprises with the appropriate conformance to Data Security can sustain their business. This requirement also impacts the vendors and partners that the Enterprise works with. E.g., Metaverse Hosting platforms and Metaverse service providers.
Metaverse Options For Enterprises
Enterprises exploring metaverses for business use cases must comply with data security standards and government regulations.
There are two options for deploying security-compliant metaverse solutions:
Single entity-owned metaverses that can be:
1. Internally Hosted
Framevr and Gmetri, leading metaverse platforms, offer the possibility of hosting their spaces in a secure enterprise data center. Enterprises must select the appropriate subscription package and allocate 6-8 weeks for the setup to ensure optimized virtual space and drive enterprise growth with reliable hosting options.
2. Externally Hosted
When considering an externally hosted Metaverse, selecting a smaller vendor such as Framevr, Mootup, or Gmetri is important. These Metaverse options operate on a monthly subscription model, like AWS or Azure services. Payment is based solely on the required capacity of use. Enterprises can take advantage of trial periods with externally hosted metaverse, but caution should be exercised when transferring internally categorized data to third-party hosts. The metaverse presents a wealth of collaborative possibilities as an experiential virtual space. It enables the creation of 3D virtual workspaces accessible to employees and customers without external data transfer.
Prominent use cases include:
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Enterprise workspaces tour for potential recruits, enabling them to interact with virtual avatars of their future colleagues while soaking in a look-and-feel of their to-be workstations.
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Marketing outreach in high-traffic public spaces, attracting a large pool of potential customers.
Several global enterprises, including JP Morgan, Nike, Amazon, Astra Zeneca, and Pfizer, have adopted this hosting approach. Overall, the metaverse unfolds a new chapter of experiential immersion, making it an ideal platform for B2B collaboration.
3. Self-Hosted
This option requires the enterprise to build its environment to host 3D environments in their data center. Enterprises looking to enter the realm of 3D gaming tools can benefit from using mature options, such as Unity and Unreal Engine. However, self-hosting can incur a high cost of capital expenditure for hardware, recurring maintenance expenses, and the complexity of finding skilled employees. Building a small, dedicated lab within a restricted sub-net is wise for those starting this journey. Enterprises must also test different solutions before expanding to larger options. This will ensure a smoother deployment process when bringing the solution into the data center.
Vendor Assessment For Metaverse Hosting
Enterprises experimenting with metaverse must carefully consider vendor selection to ensure the hosting provider adheres to the security standards for the enterprise’s specific use case. This evaluation will aid enterprises in making an informed decision while choosing a vendor for metaverse hosting, enabling a secure and seamless experience.
Integrating Advanced Security Practices Into The Metaverse
Implementing metaverse in enterprises usher in innovative hardware and software. Hence, enterprises must upgrade their security standards to protect the new devices and protocols from emerging threats. Employees and customers must be comprehensively trained and educated on the security risks and their corresponding latest threat mitigation and prevention techniques. Furthermore, the metaverse introduces new data privacy and protection capabilities by leveraging private blockchain-based data protection methods.
‘Securing’ The Future Of Enterprise Adoption Of Metaverses
Enterprise adoption of the metaverse is poised for exponential growth in the upcoming years. Enterprises across industries will likely witness a surge in customer interest in various applications and an expanding user base. As a maturing field, vendor regulatory support and standards compliance are evolving. Hence, enterprises evaluating different metaverse solutions for their business use cases should take cautious steps to test finite solutions in areas where immersive user experiences can make or break business success.
References
1. Ravi. (2022, October 12). Doing It The Nike Way – Novartis, AstraZeneca On Making The Metaverse Work. Scrip Citeline Commercial. Know More..
2. Chow. (2022, February 17). J.P. Morgan Opens a Virtual Lounge in Decentraland. Hypebeast. Know More..
3. Williams. (2021, October 7). Verizon showcases 5G with metaverse treasure hunt. Marketingdive. Know More..
4. Krishnan. (n.d.). Top metaverse cybersecurity challenges: How to address them. TechTarget. Know More..
5. Privacy and blockchain. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Know More..
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