MIXING OVERT AND COVERT SECURITY FEATURES DO NOT HELP
They make for an expensive proposition while you expect them to lower costs.
Brands have been made to believe that using mix overt covert security feature, is the best approach in brand protection. They are sold that duplicating these myriad security features will leave counterfeiters behind in the race.
Similarly technologies sold exclusively only stay that for a matter of time or even better Counterfeiter has access to a cheaper version of similar looking packaging. Time is the only advanced that brands have when adopting complex technologies that leverage specialized production technology or material.
The greatest advantage of technology is the downward trend of cost curve. The most expensive technology becomes inexpensive in a matter of time. Most of us didn't own personal computers till few decades back, similarly printers at home were unheard of. We all know that advanced production and volume help drive cost down.
Cheaper alternatives for specialized security material
Technologies sold exclusively only stay that for a matter of time or even better Counterfeiter has access to a cheaper version of similar looking packaging. Time is the only advanced that brands have when adopting complex technologies that leverage specialized production technology or material.
Technology Advancement comes with its share of downside
Special production technology or material come with its downside namely cost, special reader or scanning device, limited experts to verify originality among other ones. The only upside that it allows for it - Time which in its best possible case is within 6 months or even a month till counterfeiters catch up.
Insider connivance is another aspect which helps expedite the knowledge sharing possibly through outsourced manufacturing, distribution chain, field experts, and even in-house team.
One important aspect of Counterfeiting is not to replicate all the security features but rather enough to fool the customers.
Access to the complex formula or material or packaging style allow counterfeiters to implement visually similar packaging or security technology which will not beat the eye of brand protection experts, but they are not the ones buying your product. Brand protection experts though cannot be present every where - every time, weakening your brand protection chain. We all know that a chain is as strong as its weakest link.
Advanced Security without use of Overt & Covert Features
A security technology can be insider proof when nothing special is used, yet rendering highest form of security while allowing for easy authentication at any point in supply chain. SCoT relies on a similar technology that ensures insider proof through complete randomness in signature generation using RUDS, yet verifiable easily using a smartphone. The other advantage to SCoT labels are that the encoding stored in digital format will need to be re-created in a physical label to allow for scanning. ScAI, the Active Intelligence distributed server technology is the firewall that scans for unusual pattern in authentication and disables further authentication while allowing legitimate authentication without any limits.
With random signature running into billions, finding the exact match for a single unit and then crafting a new label is more difficult than cracking a 2048-bit digital key.
Stop experimenting with multiple technologies and adopt SCoT - the trusted security packaging technology applicable across packaging and use cases.
