How Secure Are Your ID Cards From Counterfeiting by:Edmond Shi

ID cards are increasingly used by organizations as a key component of their security infrastructure

. As such, there is an increasing concern that ID cards are secure so that they can NOT be fraudulently reproduced.

True ID card security derives from several sources - card media, security-enabled card printers and other security features. There are many basic ID card Printers in use today for printing ID cards, including the Fargo DTC550 ID card printer and the Zebra P420i ID card printers. Organizations typically use these badge printers to print their identification cards on blank white cards and then apply a laminate protection to both sides of the card. If they want added security, organizations may utilize a laminate with a holographic image. Despite these security precautions though, it is not difficult for someone to tamper with an identification card and most of the time, this tampering with not be recognized by the untrained eye.

However, there is a simpler way for counterfeiters to products fraudulent ID cards. They can simply buy the same ID card printer and utilize the same ID card software that you are using to reproduce ID cards that are identical to yours. Fortunately, one of the simpler solutions to counter this is to control the source of materials (e.g. card media) that is used. For instance, the AAMVA has classified security recommendations for drivers' licenses in the U.S. into three different levels. Level 1 consists of the use of overt features as the first line of defense which includes items they can be seen without the use of equipment or special devices. Some common examples of this include a hologram printed on either the card or on the underside of the protective laminate. Level 2 consists of covert features which include simple, inexpensive tests on the ID card such as visual inspection under a lens or black light (UV), biometric scanning, digital scanning and data base checking. !

Level 3 defenses are forensic features of the card and often are kept secret to remain useful and include images or physical objects that are hidden within the card structure or concealed by special graphic effects on the card surface. Typically, they can be fully validated only by specialized optical scanning devices, or other means of machine-reading data.

The key then is to control the source of cards and it often recommended that organizations use custom pre-printed cards for added security precautions. Pre-printed features are very difficult to duplicate and by utilizing the security recommendations from the AAMVA, you can significantly reduce the risk of someone counterfeiting your ID cards. These added features include UV-visible text and graphics that are visible only when illuminated by a black light (UV) source. User defined text, with deliberate random font changes and misspelling if desired, may be micro-printed as an added security measure. In short, ID cards are only good if they cannot be fraudulently reproduced and the first step in stopping this is to control the card media.

For additional information on photo ID badge system products, visit my recommended website at IDCardPrinterSavings.com or contact an ID card printer specialist at (714)922-1140.

About the author

Edmond Shi has worked in the computer industry since the early 1980s when he began his professional life as a software developer. Since then, Mr. Shi has published numerous articles ranging from respected academic journals to trade magazines on topics ranging from the impact of computers on organizations to computers in manufacturing organizations. Professionally, he has worked in the mobile computing and barcoding industries since the mid 1990s and has held senior level management positions in software development and product development. A PhD drop-out in Computer Science, Mr. Shi did manage to obtain his MBA, as well as his MS/BS degrees in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine.

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