You’ve made it to the edge of XR deployment, the pilots are complete, you know which devices you’re going to use, you even have a selection of apps ready to go. But there’s one thing left to do: complete your enterprise XR security checklist.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement, particularly when XR initiatives for training, collaboration, and product development demonstrate such a high return on investment. But every XR deployment comes with risks. The more data your devices gather, from haptic feedback data to spatial maps and voice prints, the more vulnerable you are.
The only way to avoid the threats, fines, and reputational damage, is to be proactive. Here’s how you can make sure you’re actually ready to deploy XR securely.
Enterprise XR Security Checklist
So, what does “secure XR deployment” actually look like inside an enterprise?
It’s not just about picking the right headset or turning on encryption. Security in XR is layered. It stretches from the biometric data being captured by your devices to the legal frameworks governing where that data goes, and who gets to see it.
Let’s start at stage one, with your risk assessment.
1. Pre-Deployment Risk Assessments: Know Your Exposure
Before you start diving into meetings on Microsoft Mesh, take stock of everything. XR tools don’t always ask for permission before they capture data. These tools observe, sense, and react constantly – and if you don’t know what’s being viewed or heard, you’re flying blind.
Start with what’s being collected.
- Spatial data: This includes full 3D renderings of your manufacturing plant or executive boardroom. These aren’t just maps for digital twins; they’re behavioral cartographies, and current laws can’t yet account for how deeply they can profile operations.
- Biometric signals: Eye movements, pupil dilation, heart rate. Some platforms can infer stress, cognitive load, even mood, all in real time.
- Ambient capture: Microphones and cameras built into headsets don’t just enhance collaboration; they can unintentionally log sensitive conversations or visuals. Make sure you know what’s being accessed, and recorded.
You also need to decide where all that data is going to live. Cloud-based XR is flexible and scalable, but potentially less controllable. On-premises offers more control, but you’re responsible for patches, compliance layers, and physical security. For some companies, a hybrid model might be the best bet.
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) will help you a lot here. Add these questions to your enterprise XR security checklist:
- Have we documented every data type XR will collect?
- Do we know where each data stream is stored, and who can access it?
2. Make MDM Solutions Part of Your XR Security Checklist
XR headsets are endpoints. That means they’re assets, and liabilities. If a laptop goes missing, you wipe it. If a headset disappears without MDM in place? That’s proprietary data and internal maps potentially headed to eBay.
The good news is there are XR device management solutions out there. You can choose dedicated systems that work with a range of headsets, like ArborXR and ManageXR. These solutions often offer full remote control to wipe devices, push updates, and enforce usage restrictions anywhere.
Certain XR vendors offer their own dedicated solutions built for specific devices too. Meta has the Meta Quest for Business platform, with encryption, access controls, app restrictions and policy enforcement. PICO has the Business Manager suite, with similar solutions and SSO capabilities.
When you’re searching through your options, make sure you can cross off these items on your enterprise XR security checklist:
- Can we remotely lock and wipe headsets?
- Is it easy to control and update apps remotely?
- Do we have access to usage analytics and reports?
- Will this solution work with multiple devices?
- Can we implement comprehensive access controls?
Think of your XR headsets and apps just like any other aspect of your technology stack. They need to be manageable at scale to ensure security.
3. Create Device Management and Access Policies
A headset isn’t just a tool. It’s a sensor-packed, always-on endpoint that can walk out the door, not always in the hands of the right people. The MDM solutions you explored above should give you access to device management solutions that include features for device tracking and monitoring. Make sure you set these solutions up in advance.
Then move onto access policies and security controls:
- Create a list of whitelisted and black-listed applications for your team members. Don’t allow just anyone to add new software to a device.
- Introduce multi-factor authentication solutions. Biometric options like Apple Vision Pro’s Optic ID could be a great choice for those with high security risks.
- Use role-based access controls to ensure that only the right people can access high-value data, simulations, or device controls.
- Implement session locking capabilities for idle devices, or automatic logouts for devices that don’t access an app for a certain period.
- Decide which information (biometric data, session data, information about usage, etc.) will be stored and logged by each device.
Without access control, your XR deployment isn’t enterprise-ready. This step in your XR Security Checklist is where theory meets accountability.
4. Manage Data Ownership and Retention Policies
Who owns the eye-tracking data from your executive meeting? Where is it stored? For how long? And can a third-party plug-in access it?
If you don’t have clear answers to those questions, your XR Security Checklist has a hole in it, and regulators are watching. Here’s what’s at stake:
- Biometric data is legally protected under laws like GDPR, CCPA, and soon, India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Any XR platform capturing facial scans, heart rates, or gaze tracking must do so with explicit consent and lawful basis.
- Spatial and ambient data might seem innocuous, but they’re not. According to a 2023 Stanford study, just two seconds of motion capture data can uniquely identify an individual with 95% accuracy
In your policy, include retention timelines for each type of data, along with deletion workflows, and auditing strategies. Consider implementing contractual terms with vendors about data access, processing, and deletion on termination.
Some headsets, like Varjo’s XR-4 Secure Edition even allow on-premises-only data processing, which can be a huge advantage for defense and IP-sensitive industries.
5. Add User Training to Your XR Security Checklist
Sometimes your biggest XR security threat isn’t a hacker – it’s a member of your own team. Employees don’t mean to create vulnerabilities, but what you don’t know in XR can hurt you. Most security training today skips immersive environments entirely. That’s a problem.
- A team member uses an unsecured public Wi-Fi network while accessing an XR training module. They’ve just created a backdoor.
- Someone walks off with a headset that’s still logged in to a privileged session. That’s an instant exposure risk.
- An employee fails to recognize a deepfake avatar, and discloses confidential strategy.
Create a comprehensive training strategy, with modules on detecting spoofed avatars, reporting protocols for lost or stolen headsets, and best practices for using XR headsets in remote settings. Run onboarding exercises inside XR too, for remote workers.
As you upgrade your XR strategy with more accessories and advanced tools, keep your training protocols up-to-date.
6. Establish Governance and Audit Protocols
If no one is accountable for XR security in your organization, everyone will be exposed. XR is a cross-functional, compliance-bound environment that demands real governance.
Start by deciding who owns what:
- IT/security handles access controls, device patching, and network segmentation.
- Legal/compliance flags biometric data risks, policy violations, and privacy law exposure.
- HR owns training, acceptable use enforcement, and access privileges.
- Operations know where XR is used and what workflows it touches.
You also need a clear escalation plan and real-time monitoring. Platforms like Microsoft Mesh offer encrypted session data and activity logs that plug into Azure AD and enterprise dashboards, giving IT teams visibility across immersive workspaces
Remember, audits shouldn’t be conducted only once a year. Use continuous compliance monitoring systems, audit trails in your MDM platform, and regular policy updates to keep your system secure.
Use Your XR Security Checklist to Deploy with Confidence
You’ve got the devices, the strategy, and the vision. Now, it’s time to complete your enterprise XR security checklist. Remember, XR isn’t just a new interface; it’s a new risk surface. Treat your deployment with caution.
Start now:
- Run an internal XR audit
- Cross-check your current vendor stack
- Share this checklist with IT, legal, and ops leaders
