Optics and Photonics in Image Encryption, Anti-Counterfeiting, and Security Systems

Abstract

The need for security and verification systems are diverse and there are many applications. One example is credit card fraud which is a serious problem facing many banks, businesses, and consumers. Reliable low cost systems are also needed to combat other types of fraud and counterfeiting. Counterfeit parts such as computer chips, machine tools, etc. are arriving on our shores in great numbers. With the rapid advances in computers, CCD technology, image processing hardware and software, printers, scanners, and copiers, it is becoming increasingly simple to reproduce pictures, logos, symbols, money bills, or patterns. Presently, credit cards and passports use holograms for security. The holograms are inspected by human eye. In theory, the hologram cannot be reproduced by an unauthorized person using commercially available optical components. In practice, the holographic pattern can be easily acquired from a credit card (photographed or captured by a CCD camera) and then a new hologram synthesized.