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