Microsoft Corporation’s new security chief Charlie Bell issued a call to arms to develop protection from hackers and criminals in the burgeoning metaverse. “There’s going to be a lot of innovation and there will be a lot of struggling to figure out what has to be done,” Bell said in an interview. “But I think because of the speed, there will be fast innovation on the security side.”
Why it matters
Tech companies entering the metaverse, such as Microsoft and Meta, must prioritise security during product development rather than addressing issues later. A variety of software, such as games, entertainment, and corporate video conferencing, will be available in the metaverse. All software developers and users must consider ahead of time how to keep the metaverse safe and avoid hackers, abuse, harassment, and other illegal content.
Context
Bell was reported to have joined Microsoft in 2021 and worked many years for Andy Jassy at Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud unit.
“We have one chance at the start of this era to establish specific, core security principles that foster trust and peace of mind for metaverse experiences. If we miss this opportunity, we’ll needlessly deter the adoption of technologies with great potential for improving accessibility, collaboration, and business,” said Bell. He also stressed that the metaverse will only fail if security is not prepared in advance.
