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The Holography Times
Vol. 7, Issue 20
Steps to identify
authentication solutions
to curb counterfeiting
By C S Jeena
Counterfeiting is menace for brand owners and Government authorities. In
over a decade the problem has expanded rapidly and is now not limited to
luxury goods and developed economies. There are any numbers of reports
available on internet discussing the loss to industry and people due to
counterfeiting.
Over the years, in order to prevent counterfeiting from plaguing their
business, brand owners started using authentication solutions. With
the availability of various authentication solutions, companies and
Government authorities are facing problem in selection of a specific
authentication solution as the adoption of any given solution is a complex
question involving issues, amongst others, of cost, compatibility, feasibility
and reliability, and there are divergent views on which technologies
should be adopted and the timing for their adoption. While these
solutions can sometimes add to the problem, the right selection, usage
& implementation of authentication solutions helps companies and
authorities to keep them one step ahead of counterfeiting.
In this article, we try to explain, “Steps to identify authentication solutions
to curb counterfeiting”.
Introduction:
The selection of an authentication1
solutions that protects a document
or product is a complex process
and necessitates review of a
number of factors regarding the
role and implementation of the
technology. Not all authentication
solutions and security features are
appropriate for all applications.
It is important to understand the
strengths and limitations inherent
to different technologies, as well as
between similar features supplied
by different manufacturers.
For example: Use of a security
watermark2
in a liquor tax stamp3
which is afϐixed to bottles. The
goal is to introduce a security
watermark as a new overt feature.
The liquor tax stamp has a far
smaller user population (mostly
inspectors) than currency, and
this smaller population is better
trained and equipped to examine
taxstampsthanthegeneralhuman
being. This could allow for the
use of a covert (or even forensic)
feature,butithasbeendetermined
by authorities that in this case the
risk of counterfeiting is not great
enough to invest in equipment or
tools and that an overt feature is
preferred for the sake of simplicity.
The authentication of a watermark
is performed by holding the
document up to alight. But in this
case the document is a tax stamp
secured to a glass bottle and it will
only be possible to authenticate
the feature if the bottle and its
contents are transparent (or at
least translucent). Many liquor
bottles and liquors are opaque and
would not allow sufϐicient light
transmission for authentication. It
isdeterminedthateventhoughthe
user population would otherwise
be capable of authenticating this
feature, the wide range of the
environment–from transparent
to opaque–makes the use of a
Footnotes:
1. Authentication - Authentication is the
process of conϔirming that a product,
document or even person is authentic. This
is usually achieved by looking for speciϔic
attributes such as product and document
features and security additions such as
holograms, optically variable devices, optical
variable inks etc.
2. Watermark: A design, symbol or pattern
imparted in paper by a raised wire design
on a roll (a dandy roll) as the wet paper is
being formed on a mesh as it passes through
the wet-end drainage process on a paper-
making machine.
3. Tax stamp – A revenue stamp, tax stamp
or ϔiscal stamp is a (usually) adhesive label
used to collect taxes or fees on documents,
tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and and
many other things. Used by governments
as duty and excise stamps. These are high
security documents which contained security
features such as hologram.
Cover Story

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The Holography Times
Vol. 7, Issue 20
Cover Story
security watermark in a liquor tax
stamp unusable. This situation is
an example of how a widely used
and popular feature is rendered
ineffective by environmental
circumstances. In order to avoid
such circumstances, Organisation
can follow basic guidelines such
as;
1. Purpose of using
authentication solutions
The organisation needs to
understand the purpose of using
authentication solutions. As a ϐirst
step most organisations should
assess the risk to their brand such
as
i) Does the product have chances
of being counterfeited or is it
already being counterfeited;
ii) If it is being counterfeited, then
isitinformoftampering,pilfering,
duplication or, by misleading the
consumer by adopting a look-a-
like form of identiϐication;
iii) Is the risk of counterfeiting in
the form of digital or non-digital?
iv) What the impact such
solutions may have on the brand?
Once the purpose is clear, the
organisation can evaluate the
authentication solutions or
security feature based on various
parameters.
2. Selection of
authentication solutions
In today’s fast changing
technological world, scores of
different authentication solutions
are available in the market. These
days,twofamiliesofauthentication
solutions are in use, physical4
and
logical security5
features to secure
packaging materials and products,
(see ϐigure 1). In selecting them
various trade-offs are necessary
between security and usability. To
evaluate whether a given solution
will address a given security
problem, the security problem
must ϐirst be clearly deϐined.
2.1 Basic property
The solutions should be
extremely difϐicult to copy and
tamper evident6
;
2.2 Audience
The solutions should provide
easy identiϐication to user,
and facilitate product
authentication. Security features
of authentication solutions must
be tailored to the intended user
population, the group of people
responsible for authenticating
the feature. The user population
could include the entire public-
4. Physical Security: Physical security features
are substances or products which are
introduced into, or attached to packaging
materials and / or products. The presence
of these security substances is veriϔied to
authenticate the protected item. As the
manufacturing process of security products
is conϔidential and highly secure and its
availability is strictly limited, it is very
difϔicult to counterfeit products secured in
this way.
5. Logical Security: Features are based
on encryption technologies, allowing
the integration of hidden data into
images / artworks (steganography /
digital watermarks) and supporting the
authentication of the product. It is also
possible to register the surface structure of
packaging material which is unique. With
this data, an individual “ϔingerprint” of each
individual packaging item can be made.
6. Tamper evident - Tamper-evident describes
a device or process that makes unauthorized
access to the protected object easily detected.
Seals, markings or other techniques may be
tamper indicating.
Figure 1: Overview of security technologies
Authentication
Solutions Serialisation
Security Technologies
Printed
PhysicalLogical
Cryptographic
Identiϐication
Structure
Analysis
Track and
Trace
Inks / Taggants OVDs and
Hologram

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The Holography Times
Vol. 7, Issue 20
Cover Story
for example, if the product being
secured is currency, or if it is a
bottle of a widely sold over-the-
counter medication. The user
population might be a smaller
group in the case of a more
specialized product. If the user
population is large or has limited
interest in authenticating the
feature, it may be impractical
to supply complicated security
features, whereas if the user
population is small and
specialized, security features of
any complexity can be selected.
For example, in a survey by Dutch
National Bank to measure the
public understanding of security
features, it was revealed that out
of seven selected features, the
Hologram came out second with
55 per cent public recognition.
2.3 Authentication layers
The solutions should provide
multiple levels of authentication.
Generally most of the
authentication solutions provide
one or two level of authentication
layers. However, solutions such
as high security hologram can
provide three authentication
layers for different users. The
each level of security hologram is
designed for a speciϐic purpose.
Level one feature can be overt
(veriϐication by human eye) and
can be used for identiϐication and
veriϐication by consumer. Level
two, covert (veriϐication by a
predetermined device or a tool)
can be used by manufacturer
or their channel partner for an
advanced level of authentication
and veriϐication. The third level
is highly sophisticated and can be
used by forensic experts and can
be useful to law enforcement and
for evidence in case of litigation.
2.4 Environment factors
The solution should work well
in different environmental
situations (heat, cold, humidity,
water, ϐire, chemical exposure,
etc). For example, polyester
based security holographic excise
adhesive label (HEAL) are used
by excise authorities in India as
they does not wear during transit,
handling or in contact with water
because of its property and work
well in various environmental
and climatic conditions. The
security features incorporated
in HEAL does not varnish when
it comes in contact with water,
dust, heat, moisture, etc because
of non-usage of ink.
2.5 Easy integration
Authentication solutions should
have feasibility to be integrated
with the automated production/
packaginglineifrequired,especially
wherever the volumes are large.
While selecting authentication
solutions it is always
recommended to adopt a layered
approach combining use of overt,
semi-covert, and / or covert
technologies to provide a solution
that is more difϐicult to copy.
3. Selection of vendor7
providing authentication
solutions
Once you have identiϐied the
solution, you can proceed to the
selection of an ethical vendor. The
selection of vendor is as important
as selection of authentication
solution. The ethical vendor will
work as your authentication
partner, will understand and
identify your problem areas
and concerns and will suggest
the optimised solution. The
brand owners can evaluate
authentication solutions provider
(vendor)onfollowingparameters;
3.1 Good corporate practices
Evaluate the vendor on its
corporate practices. Ideally, the
vendor should have adopted
good corporate practices, behave
in ethical manner and should
be following the prescribed
Code of Conduct of its industry
association.
3.2 Innovative
Being a step ahead is the mantra in
anti-counterfeiting industry. Most
7. Vendor – Here it means the manufacturer
& provider of authentication technology,
systems or solutions

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The Holography Times
Vol. 7, Issue 20
Cover Story
of the ethical vendors upgrade
their facilities and solutions to
keep themselves & their customer
one step ahead of counterfeiters.
They can suggest & provide
various solutions according to
brand protection objectives and
the changing times.
3.3 Secure environment
The vendor should have an
in-house facility to produce
these solutions under a secure
environment. The vendor must
take all possible measures and
precautions for maintaining
adequate security and secrecy.
3.4 Reference and experience
Vendor should have good
experience of providing
authentication solutions. A
vendor reference should always
be taken from his existing
customers, or you can get
the help from trade industry
association.
In case your vendor is security
hologram manufacturers, you can
add two more steps such as;
3.5 Member of HoMAI / IHMA
He should be a member of
trade bodies such as Hologram
Manufacturers Association of
India (HoMAI) or International
Hologram Manufacturer
Association (IHMA).
3.6 Registered hologram under
HIR8
The Hologram manufacturers
association of India has the
arrangement with Counterfeit
Intelligence Bureau (CIB)9
,
London so that each HOMAI
member can register their
security hologram with CIB.
The selection & usage of
solutions can be a complex
and time consuming process,
however, the selection and
proper implementation of the
right technologies will invariably
lead to long term beneϐits to the
brand owner.
As a further step, the Brand
Owner / Authorities can also
adopt a new ISO Standard ISO:
12931 titled “Performance
criteria for authentication tools
used in anti-counterfeiting or
material goods”. This is a very
useful document for a brand
owner wishing to adopt globally
accepted standards and approach
to ϐighting against the counterfeit.
This can be seen at http://
www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_
detail?csnumber=52210.
All effective solutions, broadly
speaking, help in identifying
and authenticating the original
from counterfeit. They deepen
the divide between genuine
products and their counterfeits
by making a genuine product
distinguishable in some manner
that is difϐicult to replicate
using commercially available
manufacturing processes.
However, it is very important that
a planned surveillance program
be in place to constantly monitor
that there is no infringement is
seen, an immediate action must
be taken so that the guilty is
punished.
Reference:
1. Brand protection challenges and solutions
by Pradip H Shroff, ϔirst published in the
holography times, February 2011, volume 4 &
issue 11.
2. ISO Standards 12931 “Performance criteria for
authenticationtoolsusedinanti-counterfeiting
or material goods” http://www.iso.org/iso/
catalogue_detail?csnumber=52210
3. How to select a security feature, published by
The Document Security Alliance and The North
American Security Products Organisation. www.
documentsecurityalliance.com; www.naspo.org
4. Authentication Technologies for Brand
Protection report published by National
Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA),
USA. www.nema.org
5. Hologram Manufacturers Association of India
(HoMAI), www.homai.org
6. International Hologram Manufacturers
Association (IHMA), www.ihma.org
7. Hologram Image Register, http://www.
iccwbo.org/Products-and-Ser vices/
Fighting-Commercial-Crime/Counterfeiting-
Intelligence-Bureau/Hologram-Image-
Register/
8. HIR –A unique and only image register in
security industry, where hologram producers
register their hologram.
9. Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau (CIB)- CIB
is one of the world’s leading organisations
dedicated to combating the counterfeiting
of products and documents, protecting the
integrity of intellectual property and brands,
and preventing copyright abuse. CIB has
a dedicated team of internet investigators
to combat this trade. CIB also hosts the
International Hologram Image Register.
C S Jeena is Secretary Hologram
Manufacturers Association of India,
Editor The Holography Times, member of
Association of Certified Fraud Examiner
(ACFE) & Global Association of Risk
Professionals (GARP). Comments are
welcome at cjhomai@gmail.com.