Date of Award

1-10-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Information Science

First Advisor

Daniel Berleant

Abstract

This study examines how security features might be incorporated into a Unity created virtual reality (VR) classroom, with a particular emphasis on important concerns including user privacy, data security, and illegal access. The increasing usage of virtual reality (VR) technology in educational settings has made it crucial to ensure the security of these immersive systems, especially when it comes to safeguarding sensitive user data. Designing and implementing a secure VR classroom prototype that could successfully protect against common security concerns, such as unauthorized access and data breaches, was the main goal of this project. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), and session tokenization were among the security protocols used to accomplish this. These protocols were intended to limit access according to user roles and guarantee safe user sessions. Additionally, End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) and SSL/TLS protocols were implemented with a focus on data protection, guaranteeing that all communications, including voice conversations, visual data, and instructional content, remained private and undamaged throughout transmission. These security features were effective in preventing unauthorized access and securing sensitive information, providing a superior level of privacy and security compared to typical classroom settings, according to extensive testing and evaluation of the VR classroom prototype. Notwithstanding these advantages, several difficulties were faced, such as Unity's XR Toolkit's limitations for more intricate interactions, sporadic incompatibilities with Android setups, and the requirement for frequent updates to third-party plugins in order to preserve functionality and security. These drawbacks point to areas that need work, especially in terms of maximizing cross-platform compatibility and lowering technical obstacles for users across a range of devices. The results of this study highlight the significance of putting robust security measures in place in VR learning environments and offer a useful starting point for future research aimed at improving security, scalability, and the use of VR in various educational settings. Future studies could look at ways to better safeguard user privacy by integrating more sophisticated security measures like behavioral analysis and biometric authentication. They could also look into how VR can be used in other domains, such as healthcare education and vocational training.

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