In an effort to fight identity theft and fraud, the UK has unveiled a new electronic passport complete with heightened security features and a revamped design.

Though the previous UK passport was already equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip – the device that makes an electronic passport electronic (read more here) – the redesign ensures a larger degree of safety and protection for the chip.

Once apparent on the outside of the passport, the new UK passport design moves the chip to the inside of the passport cover where it will no longer be visible also ensuring additional physical protection of the chip that contains a holder’s personal information such as name, age, height, birth date and place of birth, among other details.

Moving the chip to the inside of the passport covers also means it will be harder for counterfeiters to replace the chip without physically damaging the passport cover.

Other new security measures include a secondary image of the holder printed onto the observations page, a new transparent covering which includes several holograms to protect the holder’s personal details, and images of well-known UK scenes – including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Gower Peninsula, and the Giant’s Causeway – stretched across each page of the passport.

“Through a combination of physical and electronic security features, the UK passport remains one of the most secure and trusted documents in the worlds, meeting rigorous international standards,” Sarah Rapson, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service told BBC. “The new design is part of our strategy to stay ahead of criminals who look to fraudulently alter or copy passports.”

The new UK passport will start being issued in October, and will be valid for a period of ten years.

SOURCES:
SecureID News: “UK’s E-Passport Has New Security Features”
BBC: “New UK Passport Design Unveiled In Fight Against Fraud”

A new video podcast series released by the United States government is aimed at helping businesses and consumers protect themselves against counterfeit currency.

Initially created for the website NewMoney.gov – a site used to educate the public about the new $100 US bill – the podcasts are a visual resource in which people can learn about security features found on US currency.

The videos are an interactive way to “know about the security features so that if you have a reason to doubt that the note you’re about to accept is real, you know what to look for to verify its authenticity,” says Kenneth Jenkins, the US Secret Service Criminal Investigative Special Agent in Charge and host of the podcast.

This week, the government released the second video in the series that explains how to identify security features not only on the new $100 note, but also on other US denominations.

Kelley Harris, US Secret Service Supervisory Counterfeit Specialist, takes the viewer through an extensive tour of security features such as the portrait watermark, the security thread that varies in colour and location depending on denomination, the colour shifting ink that changes the colour of a bill’s denomination when tilted, microprinting and raised printing.

These features are key to deterring counterfeiters from creating bogus bills and are also key to helping the public identify if a bill is counterfeit or not. Raised printing for example, says Harris, is one of the hardest things for counterfeiters to reproduce but also one of the easiest features for the average person to detect.

“Because digital technology is so inexpensive and so widely available counterfeiters have a lot more tools at their disposal,” says Harris. “A lot of these tools will help replicate the overall image and look of the bill itself but what they aren’t able to do is replicate a lot of those security features that we’ve talked about.”

Another security feature the podcast points out is small letters and numbers scattered through the front and back of the banknote that provides very specific information about the printing plate used to create the note as well as identifies from which reserve bank the note was issued.

At least three more video podcasts are planned and will touch on topics such as the art of banknote design, the printing printing process and the lifecycle of a note in circulation.

Download the most recent podcast HERE.

SOURCES:
PR-USA.net: “US Government Video Shows Businesses and Consumers How To Protect Against Counterfeit Currency”
NewMoney.Gov

Passengers looking for quicker processing times at airports around the world will be happy to know that experts in technology, defense, and travel are predicting a significant increase in biometric checks in airports around the globe in the coming years.

Using devices like retina, finger and facial scans, biometric checks not only provide a speedier check-in, but also ensures a higher degree of security.

“There has been a drive over the past few years by governments – with e-passports and e-visas – to include a biometric in the travel document to make sure the person is the legitimate owner of that document,” said Sean Farrell, the Sita biometrics portfolio director during a webinar on aviation information technology back in July.
Biometric passports include more passenger information than standard passports. Though they still contain essential information such as the passenger’s name, age, sex, place of birth and nationality, biometric passports can also contain fingerprints, facial patterns, DNA info, and iris scans. All of this information is stored on a microchip embedded in the passport called a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chip.

Some governments have already required that new passports for citizens include biometric information – usually facial scans or fingerprints.

In February, London’s Stansted airport introduced facial scanners called “Autogates” where a live image of the passenger standing at the gate is captured and biometric technology then compares this with the image stored on the chip embedded within the passport by measuring specific facial points. If there is a match and they clear security, the automatic gates allow the traveler across the border.

“We’re going to see biometrics grow very quickly from border management to other places at the airport,” Farrell said, noting the various expedited security clearance programs now in place. Referring to the program at Ben Gurion Airport, he explained that El Al’s frequent flyers can “use their credential at all the various points where they interact with the airline and the airport: checking in, immigration and boarding the flight.”

As of October 2009, over 79 countries had introduced biometric passports and over 100 million e-passports had been issued globally. With over 70 million new e-passports being issued every year, it is estimated that over the next ten years, most of the 750 million passports currently in use will be replaced by electronic passports.

SOURCES:
The Transnational: “Experts: More Biometric Checks Coming To Airports”
Global Paper Security: “London Airport Introduces Biometric Scanners”

The EURion Constellation is made up of a distinct pattern of these five rings, resembling the prominent constellation Orion

The EURion constellation is a pattern made up of five rings that are added to banknotes in order to prevent counterfeiters from creating forgeries using colour photocopies. Though the pattern has been used on banknotes around the world for nearly 15 years, the name was coined in early 2002 by a German computer scientist named Markus Kuhn who uncovered the pattern while experimenting with a Xerox colour photocopier that refused to reproduce banknotes.

Combing the words “Orion” and “Euro,” the EURion constellation can be found at various locations on banknotes – depending on the design – and is used on currency across the globe.

Many banks and banknote producers integrate the EURion constellation into the design of bill in order to mask its presence. On a 50DM German banknote, for example, the EURion constellation forms tiny circles in a background pattern hidden amongst other circles. On the former Bank of England £20 Elgar notes, the constellation appeared as green heads of musical notes. On some US bills, they appear as a zero in small, yellow numbers matching the value of the note.

The technical details of the EURion constellation are highly secretive. Some have speculated that the integer ratios between the squared distances of nearby circles are what cause software to recognize that the banknote is trying to be copied. Much like the software employed by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, the EURion constellation tips off the copying device and prevents forgeries.

Some scientists, however, have hypothesized that the EURion constellation isn’t the device triggering the software. Steven Murdoch, a security researcher at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, has said he believes the trigger is instead a digital watermark embedded in the notes.

Currently, over 40 countries use the EURion constellation on their banknotes including the United States, Canada, Turkey, Sweden, India, Norway, and Australia.

SOURCES:
“EURion Constellation”
“Software Detection of Currency”
“Markus Khun”

Several months after the unveiling of a new high-tech $100 US bill (set to be released into circulation in February 2011), the US Treasury is considering making changes to all banknotes, and has asked for public comment on their intent to do so.

The changes have very little to do with the actual security of the banknotes, but more to do with the feel and texture of the banknotes. The proposed changes would make US notes more accessible to the blind and visually impaired by altering banknote design to include tactile bumps – raised portions of the banknote smaller than Braille.

In their proposal titled “Meaningful Access To The United States Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons,” the Federal Register said the tactile feature would be unique to every banknote, allowing currency users to identify each denomination by touch. The Federal Register also said they would “continue the practice of adding high-contrast numerals and different and distinct colour schemes to each denomination to assist the visually impaired.”

Not everyone is happy with the proposed changes, however.

In an article published for ATM Marketplace, editor Frederick Lowe says that while the ATM industry supports tactile features on currency, some officials have complained they may cause ATMs to jam or malfunction. Moreover, because the tactile features will cause the banknotes to be thicker, this would reduce the number of banknotes that can be loaded into ATMs at any given time.

Other federal officials are worried the tactile features could wear out quickly, and are recommending the raised portions be made in a more durable fashion.

Recently, a new Scottish banknote series that prominently featured specially designed tactile enhancements for the blind and visually impaired won the award for Best New Banknote at the International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) Excellence In Currency Awards.

SOURCES:
Self Service World: “Treasury Considers Changes To US Banknotes”
Counting on Currency: “2010 IACA Currency Awards”

After discovering irregularities in the quality and production of banknote paper, security paper maker De La Rue has suspended production of banknotes at their printing plant in Overton, Hampshire for the time being.

Though no specific details have been provided, the company said last week that the paper used for making banknotes was not being printed on par with company standards.

“It is apparent that some paper production has failed to meet certain quality specifications,” a spokesperson said in an article written for the UK’s Sky News.

The company produces banknotes for 150 countries around the world but has not confirmed that any “inferior” banknotes have made their way into circulation.

The quality of paper can play a big role in ensuring the security of a banknote in order to prevent it from being counterfeited. Unlike writing paper, for example, banknote paper is produced from different types of pulp blends.
Thus, cotton based banknote paper has a unique feel different from other papers. This feel is considered to be a trigger, leading people to know whether or not the banknote is fake.

Banknote paper is also the first place producers go to include security features. Intaglio printing (raised printing) is embedded on the paper allowing consumers to instantly recognize whether a banknote is genuine by simply examining its tactile functions.

Details about how long the plant was producing inferior paper are not known. Other banknote producers around the world are not reporting any problems with the quality of their outputs.

In addition to banknotes, De La Rue also supplies security documents such as passports, authentication labels and fiscal stamps, but has not said there was a problem with these products.

SOURCES:
Sky News: “Printing Error May Undermine Banknotes”
This Is Money: “Banknote Production Suspended Due To Paper Flaws”
Polymernotes.org: “Mould-made cotton bank note paper and plastic substrate alternatives”

A new series of Scottish banknotes celebrating Scotland’s heritage, people and culture took home for award for Best New Banknote at the International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) Excellence in Currency Awards last month.

The banknotes are not only complete with a rich pictorial history, they are also specially designed for the visually impaired using vibrant colours, different izes, bold fonts and raised bars to help in the identification of the note.

The new series – which was released by Scotland’s Clydesdale Bank – also contains a number of important security features such as a distinguishable watermark, a security thread visible when the note is titled, a see-through emblem on the bottom of the note, microprinting, UV markers, and a latent image.

The series also earned the award for Best Currency Public Education for the bank’s year-long media initiative leading up to the launch of the series earlier this year.

The Bank of Mexico’s Pixelating Watermark won the award for Best New Security Feature while De La Rue’s Depth Image and Magic Verifeye received both runner up awards.

The IACA awards – which some have deemed the “Oscars of the Currency Industry” – have been taking place since 2007 with the goal of promoting and recognizing excellence in currency production, processing, management and distribution.

Aside from the awards mentioned above, the IACA also distributes awards for Best New Coin or Coin Series, Best New Currency Innovation, Best Currency Website and Outstanding Achievement/Lifetime Achievement Award.

The next IACA awards will take place in October 2011 in Singapore.

SOURCES:

Counting On Currency: “2010 IACA Currency Awards”

Currency Affairs: “Excellence In Currency Awards”

The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers: “Current Banknotes: Clydesdale Bank”

This article is part of a continuing series that looks at security features in development for the security paper industry.

It’s not a connection you can make everyday, but some leading cancer research could also prove to be an important development for the security paper industry.

Quantum dots are a discovery of nanotechnology (much like the recent research on butterfly mimicry as a security device) and are showing how the most miniscule elements are leading the way in security devices.

The tiny dots are engineered individual crystals that emit intense light and they double as semiconductors. The conducting characteristics are closely related to the size and shape of the individual crystal meaning that the smaller the crystal, the more energy is needed to “excite” the dot. Because each the crystals aren’t uniform, each dot is unique and shines a variety of colours when “excited” by something like a UV light. This is one of the predominant benefits to the quantum dots because whereas fluorescent dyes and watermarks can only display a single band, quantum dots can display a whole range of colours providing each item with a unique “barcode.”

One of the amazing things about these nanoscale dots is that they were not solely developed as a security device. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed “water-soluble” quantum dots to aid in biological research. Bright, stable, and tiny, these quantum dots “are engineered to attach themselves to particular proteins [and thus] have become a popular research tool in areas such as cancer research for detecting, labeling and tracking specific biomarkers and cells.”

Outside of the medical research, some companies have already begun the process of developing inks and paints for security and anti-counterfeiting measures that can be applied to surfaces like paper, plastic or metal. However, according to Vicki Singer, senior consultant for corporate development at Life Technologies – a California-based company that makes quantum dots – whether or not banks are interested in this technology for banknotes or other security devices is a secretive affair. Whether or not anyone is actually using quantum dots on banknotes already is even more secret.

SOURCES:
Evident Tech: “Quantum Dot Applications”
John Mongillo: “Nanotechnology 101”
“Quantum Dots”
Lab Spaces: “Microwave Synthesis Connects With The Quantum Dots”
Canadian Business Magazine: “Counterfeit Cat-and-Mouse”

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research are developing new ways to use fluorescence as an enhanced security feature for banknotes

The security paper industry is no stranger to the use of fluorescence. Often used in banknotes, fluorescence provides a unique security device that can only be revealed under ultra violet (UV) lights.

On the Canadian $20 bill, for example, the words “Bank of Canada/Banque du Canada” glow red and yellow on the bill’s left side when placed under UV lights. Similarly, a security thread on the US $100 bill containing the text “USA 100” glows red under UV lights. Numbered panels printed in fluorescent ink on Indian rupees can also only
be detected under UV lights.

Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, however, are finding new ways to use fluorescence in way that is not only new and revolutionary, but also more secure.

Instead of adding individual fluorescent devices on one specific part of the banknote, researchers at Fraunhofer are testing ways to add fluorescent dyes to the entire banknote.

To understand how this research may prove to be revolutionary, you first have to understand how fluorescence works.

Professor Julian Gray of the Georgia Mineral Society explains:

“Minerals are composed of atoms, which in turn contain electrons at specific energy levels. Ultraviolet light is an energy source. When we shine an ultraviolet lamp on a mineral that fluoresces, the atoms that make up the mineral absorb energy from the light by moving electrons to higher energy levels. However, the electrons cannot remain in this unstable, excited state. When the energized electrons return to the original lower energy level, they give back the difference in energy by emitting visible light. This is what causes the mineral to produce light. As long as the ultraviolet lamp energy source is on, electrons are continually jumping from lower to higher energy levels and back, in the process producing the wonderful fluorescent colors that we see. If the mineral only produces light when ultraviolet light is shining on the mineral, this is called fluorescence.”

When it comes to security devices, typically only one or two mineral dyes are used to create the feature. Since various dyes react to different properties, the researchers at Fraunhofer decided to add multiple dyes to the whole banknote producing “an individualized marker” that is “exceedingly difficult to imitate.”

Moreover, because the mixture of dyes is a not only unique (and presumably one that will be kept secret) but is also relatively minimal (just a few parts per billion), researchers assert that it will be “virtually impossible to decode the type and quantity of the dye additives thus making the product counterfeit proof.

Because the dye is added to the entirety of the banknote, counterfeiters cannot remove the feature. Whereas fluorescent spots can – in theory – be removed from a secure document, say researchers, this feature permeates the entire material and is “itself a component of the identification label.”

Beside counterfeit protection, the process is also suitable for an effective quality assurance, such as with coatings: With the aid of various dyes, manufacturers can monitor the chemical composition, degree of dryness and the thickness of the coat during the production process.

Dr. Andreas Holländer, one of the scientists at Fraunhofer, says if this fluorescent security device is adopted by the security paper industry, the key to its success will be the creation of dye mixtures specific to individual products so a standard solution for products across the board would be highly discouraged.

“One reason for the high degree of security of our technology is precisely because there are only material-specific solutions,” says Holländer.

SOURCES
Nanowerk: “Brilliant Counterfeit Protection”
Science Learning: “UV and Fluorescence”
Bank of Canada
Banknote.org: “USA Banknotes’ Security Features”
Reserve Bank of India: “Fluorescence”
Georgia Mineral Society: “Fluorescence by Julian C. Gray”

The Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) is a group of 31 central banks and note printing authorities that investigates emerging threats to banknote security and proposes solutions for these threats.

Consisting of members from countries around the world including Canada, the United States, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Japan, France, Greece the United Kingdom, the CBCDG also supports and deploys technologies that deter the use of digital equipment – such as colour photocopiers and ink jet printers – to counterfeit currency.

A recent article written by Antti Heinonen, the Principal Advisor for the European Central Bank and a member of the CBCDG, details these technologies as having a dramatic “paradigm change” on the banknote industry saying these “new threats triggered the development of new security features” in banknotes.
Enter the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, a group that was first put into practice in 1992, and was initially formed as a governing body to help G10 banks deal with increased counterfeiting due to colour copying. Under the moniker Special Study Group on Modern Reproduction Technologies (SSG-2), the group began working within the colour copier industry to develop techniques and technologies to prevent successful forgeries.

As we wrote earlier this month, one of the first big steps for the CBCDG was the development of anti-counterfeiting software – Counterfeit Deterrence System (CDS) – added to programs such as Adobe Photoshop that would generate an error message if a user attempt to scan banknotes. The group also lobbied printer manufacturers and copier manufacturers to include the same software upgrades, resulting in misprints or blank pages if banknotes were copied.

Today, the CBCDG not only works with banks but also with law enforcement agencies to recognize counterfeiting trends and provide solutions.

Working very closely with the technology sector, the CBCDG closely monitors new developments in digital technology in order to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters.

Of course, an easy step to preventing fake bills can be as simple as public education. “Informing and educating the general public and professional cash handlers about banknote security features,” writes Heinonen, is now a necessity for central banks.

SOURCES:
Counting On Currency: “Counterfeit Deterrence – Beating The Criminal Element”
Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group: “FAQs”
“Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group”
Global Paper Security: “How Computer Software Can Prevent Counterfeiting”