The Authenticator: Overt, Covert, Forensic & More

Typically, when one thinks of the available security features out there, the terms "overt, covert and forensic" come to mind. But why limit the distinctions to only these three tiers?

Below, are details and examples of the "usual 3" tiers of security plus 2 proposed others.

Overt: This type of security feature, although favorable among marketing people and the general public, is usually readily available and therefore less secure. (Holograms, Color Shifting Ink, Security Fibers, Floating Images, Reflective/ Metalized Inks, Guilloche Patterns, etc.)

-Holograms-

-Color Shifting Ink-

Covert: This type of security feature, as the name implies, is typically designed or placed in a such a was as to be invisible to the naked eye without proper training and/or technological assistance. This can come in the form of various stimuli that cause special inks or graphics to react. UV and IR are popularly used in this tier of security, however there are also other methods such as polarization and proprietary encoding/ decoding technologies. (Fluorescent/ Ultra-Violet Inks, Infrared Inks, Watermarks, Temperature-Sensitive Inks, Scrambled Indicia, Pantographs, Chemically-Active Inks, etc.)

-UV Inks-

-IR Inks-

Forensic: This type of security feature generally requires a sample to be taken back to a lab for a full forensic interigation. Although highly secure, it is often very expensive to integrate. (DNA Taggants, Chemical/ Ionic Taggants, Nano Taggants, etc.)

-Nano Taggants-

-DNA & Chemical Taggants-

Tamper-Evident: This type of security feature could also be placed in the covert section, as it is in fact covert in nature. One method involves a high-resolution graphic screening processes, which hides tamper-evident messages, such as "VOID" or "COPY" in the background of a given document. It is only revealed once the document is attemtped to be copied. Another method aims to reveal any tampering to an adhesive label. Once the lable is peeled off, portions of the image remain stuck to the surface it was peeled from. (Void-Pantographs, Tamper-Evident Labels, Temperature-Evident Materials, Shock-Evident Materials, etc.)

-Void Pantographs-

-Tamper-Evident Adhesive Labels-

Track & Trace: This type of security feature could also be placed in the overt section, as the very presence of track and trace technologies indicates that there is a database-monitoring system to back it. What sets these features apart from other security technologies, is as the name implies, their abilities to hold specific, unique and variable information. (Linear Barcodes, 2DMI Barcodes, Serial Numbers, Proprietary Plot & Angular Barcodes, etc.)