Securing Information with Optical Technologies

Data security has become part of our everyday lives. For even the most banal transactions, a secure piece of identification—a passport, password, bank card, credit card, personal identification number or driver's permit—is often required. As those proofs of identity have become increasingly necessary in our complex world, they have also increased the opportunities for deception. Each year, US business spends many billions of dollars on information fraud, including forged credit cards. Many of those losses are passed onto the consumer. Each year, tens of millions of dollars in counterfeit US notes are seized worldwide. And counterfeit manufactured goods, such as computer chips and machine tools, are arriving on our shores in greater numbers than ever.