"DARPA Taps LSU to Solve Cybersecurity Challenges in Virtual and Augmented Reality"
Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers Ibrahim "Abe" Baggili and Andrew Webb have received $600K from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in support of their project, "Mixed Reality Visual Deception for Mission Deviation & Distraction." The project integrates cybersecurity with psychology and human behavior to gain insight into the possible impacts of compromised software and hardware on people. Baggili noted that the military is interested in the concept of an augmented warfighter. The idea is to have more information in front of soldiers without requiring them to look at 10 different things at once. However, with new technology comes new threats. In addition to the technical exploit to hack the system, an adversary could control or influence the user, which is what the researchers are exploring. The project funded by DARPA will explore the physical safety and security of the individual who is using devices or applications in virtual or augmented reality (VR or AR), also collectively known as extended reality (XR). This article continues to discuss LSU's DARPA-funded project aimed at solving cybersecurity challenges in VR and AR.