Researchers from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) have issued a warning regarding the potential exploitation of the metaverse environment by terrorists. NCITE team based at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) said that the utilisation of virtual reality (VR) technology poses a significant concern, as it could facilitate the planning, rehearsal, and help with the execution of attacks through the use of digital replicas of buildings. Furthermore, augmented reality (AR) has the capability to grant individuals access to hidden information within a room, invisible to others. Sam Hunter, the Head of Strategic Operations at NCITE and a psychology professor at UNO, firmly believes that it is merely a matter of time before these technologies are leveraged for nefarious purposes.

NCITE, founded within the Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence, is a provider of counterterrorism research, technology, and workforce development programs.