Seminar: The Hidden Risks of Immersion: Privacy and Security in XR
Brendan David-John
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Virginia Tech
Friday, November 13, 2026
2:30 -3:30 p.m.
3100 Torgersen Hall
Abstract
Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (XR) devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and support applications in entertainment, productivity, and training. With the availability of these devices also comes an increased risk to privacy through the capture and use of data from integrated sensors necessary to support these applications. Additionally, the unique design of XR systems introduces new security vulnerabilities capable of exposing this sensor data. This talk will focus on the multidisciplinary nature of studying privacy and security for XR systems and discuss technical and human-centered risks and mitigations in this emerging field.
Biography
Dr. Brendan David-John is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. David-John was the first Native American male to graduate with a doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Florida in 2022, and received his BS and MS from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2017. His research interests include modeling user behavior with eye-tracking data and advancing the understanding of novel privacy and security risks for XR technologies. Dr. David-John was awarded the IEEE VGTC Best VR Dissertation Award in 2025 and an NSF CAREER award in 2026.