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SELECTION

What makes a quality security solution? To answer this question we researched the industry and identified four basic principles that a security system must meet, as they construct the foundation for a security solution that fulfills its mission; regardless of the product, application, or industry.

We believe our Stealth Mark^®, StealthFire™, and Crimestopper brand of products to be among the finest security solutions in the market today; and encourage competitive analysis to prove it. Our brands were built specifically to meet or exceed the four principles, by which the quality and value of any authentication solution can, and should, be measured, and by which different vendors and technologies can be compared. Let’s take a closer look at each.

The Four Principles

1. Security Strength:

Security is first and foremost—if an authentication solution is not secure then how it stands up on any other form of measurement just doesn’t matter. Can the technology of the security solution itself be compromised?

For example, how easily can a counterfeiter reproduce the authentication mark? This is a particular vulnerability of authentication solutions based on technologies such as holograms, micro-printing, and security inks which can be easily duplicated. It is also a particular problem for solutions based on RFID technology as that technology can be “hacked.”

2. Ease of Implementation:

Once you’re satisfied with an authentication solution’s security strength, the next question you have to ask yourself is: “How easy is it to implement?”

For example, to what degree does implementing a new security solution disrupt your current manufacturing, packaging, and/or distribution operations? Obviously, solutions that can be implemented with less disruption to your processes have an advantage over those that require more disruption. This can be a problem for any of the prevailing authentication technologies; it is really a matter of the measures a particular solution provider has taken to mitigate it.

3. Authentication Speed and Simplicity:

Marking an item with a technology that is highly secure and easy to implement is only half of the battle. You still have to be able to authenticate items after they have been marked.

You may want to authenticate items while they are still under your control—perhaps at points in your supply chain, such as with a contract manufacturer; or perhaps in one or more of your sales channels, such as with a distributor or retail outlet. And, of course, you will want to be able to authenticate items when they are out in the marketplace and not necessarily under your control.

Therefore, the speed and simplicity with which the authenticity of an item can be validated is critical. For example, can items be authenticated out in the field, or do they need to be sent back to a laboratory for processing? How much special equipment, training, and/or specialized assistance is required to authenticate an item? This is a particular weakness of solutions based on antibody pairs/DNA, or magnetic resonance signatures.

4. Total Cost of Ownership:

Finally, there is the matter of a solution’s affordability. In judging affordability it is important to consider not only the initial acquisition and setup costs associated with a particular solution, but also the on-going, recurring costs of that solution over the course of its entire useful life. In other words, its total cost of ownership.

For example, while RFID has proved itself a useful technology for inventory management, it has also shown itself to be too expensive for authentication purposes.