Thesis topic: Security Privacy — Metaverse and Digital Twin — Rehabilitation.

Overview : Digital twinning could be a useful technology to integrate into the Metaverse for
rehabilitation purposes. By creating a digital replica of a patient's body and movements,
clinicians could analyze and track their progress over time, and use the data to develop
personalized treatment plans. For example, if a patient has suffered a stroke and is
undergoing rehabilitation for motor function, a digital twin of their body could be used to
analyze their movement patterns and identify areas that require improvement. The patient
could then use the Metaverse to practice these movements in a virtual environment, with
real-time feedback from their digital twin.

What is Metaverse?

Coined by science-fiction writer Neal Stephenson, the word ‘Metaverse‘ has 2 parts:
‘Meta‘ – roughly translates as ‘beyond‘ or ‘which transcends‘
The latter end of ‘Multiverse‘ – refers to a theoretical reality that includes an infinite number of
parallel universes.

According to Metaverse expert, Matthew Ball, the Metaverse is:

“A massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can
be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with
an individual sense of presence….” (Matthew Ball in The Metaverse and How It Will
Revolutionize Everything)

However, the Metaverse is a virtual reality platform that allows users to create and interact with
virtual environments and avatars. It has been used in a variety of contexts, including gaming,
socializing, and even education. One potential application of the Metaverse is in rehabilitation
treatment, where it could be used as a tool for patients to practice and improve their motor skills,
cognitive abilities, and social skills in a virtual environment.

What is Digital twin ?

The concept of digital twins was first put forward by David Gelernter’s 1991 book ‘Mirror
Worlds,’ with Michael Grieves of the Florida Institute of Technology going on to apply the
concept to manufacturing.

A digital twin functions as a proxy for the current state of the thing it represents. It also is unique
to the thing represented, not simply generic to the category. Moreover, the digital twins of two
seemingly identical products will not usually be identical.A digital twin is a virtual
representation of a real-world entity or process. It is composed of the following three elements:
 ● a physical entity in real space;
● the digital twin in software form; and
● data that links the first two elements together.

Digital twin in Rehabilitation?

Digital twinning has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of complex neurological
conditions such as autism and improve treatment accuracy and efficacy. However, many
challenges remain when it comes to developing accurate and comprehensive virtual models of
the brain and integrating digital twins into clinical practice. Nonetheless, ongoing research in this
area holds promise for the future of autism research and treatment. In the context of
rehabilitation, digital twins are used to create personalized simulations of a patient's body and its
movements, enabling medical professionals to design and supervise rehabilitation programs
tailored to the patient's needs.
For doctors, digital twinning could be used as a tool to help them better understand the
complex neurological and behavioral features of autism and design more personalized and
effective treatment plans. By analyzing a virtual model of a person's brain, doctors can
identify specific areas affected by autism and adjust treatment plans accordingly.

Additionally, digital twinning could be used to simulate the effects of different drugs and
interventions, allowing doctors to test and refine treatment plans in virtual environments before
implementing them in the real world. This allows us to minimize potential risks and side effects
and optimize treatment outcomes.

Security Issue

Because digital twins are based in the cloud and don’t require physical infrastructure, the
associated security risks are somewhat lower than with other types of systems. However, the
massive amounts of data being collected and utilized is drawn from numerous endpoints, each of
which represents a potential area of weakness. It’s estimated 75 percent of digital twins will be
integrated with at least five endpoints by 2023, and a time is coming when visualizing complex
systems may require the linking of multiple digital twins.

Every time a new connection is made and more data flows between devices and the cloud, the
potential risk for compromise increases. Therefore, businesses considering digital twin
technology must be careful not to rush into adoption without assessing and updating current
security protocols. Areas of greatest importance include:
• Data encryption
• Access privileges, including clear definition of user roles
• Principle of least privilege
• Addressing known device vulnerabilities
• Routine security audits

While the insights digital twins provide can help businesses make improvements in processes
and gain more control over operations, the introduction of any new system creates new
vulnerabilities requiring the attention of IT security professionals. Businesses seeking to
implement digital twin technology must consider the potential weaknesses and take appropriate
measures to guard against malicious activity so that the full benefits may be realized with a
minimal amount of risk.