The Need to Protect Documents and ID

THE NEED TO PROTECT DOCUMENTS AND ID In a post 9/11 world - the heightened need to secure a nation's transportation system and borders has focussed the attention of governments, immigration offices and civil administrators on ways to improve security. Exploding identity theft and fraud and the continued used of counterfeit documents such as drivers licences to obtain alcohol, obtain firearms or to open bank accounts for money laundering have further underlined the need for improved document security and increased vigilance. John D. Brown, Chairman of Light Impressions International Ltd, a leading worldwide producer and supplier of optical anti-counterfeiting devices says that a disturbing trend towards the use and manufacture of counterfeit identification continues. The most common form of counterfeit primary identification used by criminals and terrorists is passports, followed by other forms of identification such as identity cards, visas and drivers licences. Secondary forms of identification used to obtain primary ID, termed breeder documents, and found by law enforcement representatives on criminals includes birth certificates and marriage certificates. With more than 10 million false ID's (driver licences, etc) seized in the US alone in 2003, authorities need to consider new security solutions and anti-counterfeiter product providers must continually innovate -in order to stay one step ahead of the counterfeiter. Security holograms have become established in many industries, they also increasingly employed in helping to protect documents such as passports, visas, driver's licences and birth certificates. Holograms success at deterring fraud in the past has been difficult to dispute, their physical properties make them impossible to produce with any accuracy on desktop publishing equipment. At the same time their visual appeal has been tough to question. Given that the majority of counterfeiters usually choose the path of least resistance, a security hologram will likely cause them to move to easier targets. Light Impressions International's John D. Brown says however that there is no room for complacency, counterfeit holograms have been detected on products and though poorly produced there is just a chance in a million that a tired document inspector could allow a counterfeit through. Recent in-house developments in the field of high resolution DOVID devices at Light Impressions has resulted in new fabrication techniques, enabling the company to deliver ultra-secure optical anti-counterfeiting devices such as HiMax