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Product Security Guidance

Document Security Technologies

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Glossmark - Anti-Counterfeit Measure for the Office

Xerox's Glossmark technology provides added security features to documents at print time. It helps tackle counterfeiting and fraud by embedding a hologram-like image onto the surface of the printout.
This creates a tamper-proof document and guarantees its authenticity. The Glossmark is visible to the eye, but cannot be reproduced on a copy of the original.
— Source: Gartner Perspective, 5/17/04

Overview

Xerox Glossmark technology is a "watermarking" technology that exhibits a special visual effect by creating different levels of gloss within an image. The Glossmark is an image or pattern embedded in an existing image without the need for special toners or paper. Similar to traditional watermarks, embedded Glossmarks can be easily observed without the assistance of special devices, yet cannot be deleted or reproduced by conventional scanning or copying.

Glossmark technology combines a visually striking gloss image with a high quality color image in a seamless fashion, and allows both images to be easily viewed with little interference.

Benefits of Glossmarks:

  • Can record variable information.
  • Can be produced by existing Xerox printing solutions.
  • Do not require assisted viewing.
  • Cannot be reproduced using conventional equipment.
  • Use conventional toners and papers.
  • Are very difficult to counterfeit.
  • Can be varied in appearance from striking to subtle.

Potential Applications for Glossmarks:

Aesthetics Authentication Document with Hidden Message
Graphics

Packaging

Signage

Promotional materials 		Legal documents

Vouchers, certificates, tickets

Logo, trademark, brand 		Job integrity

Bar code

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Check 21

Building a Secure Document:
Xerox will help customers to conform to "Check 21" - a government regulation that is mandatory for all financial institutions by October 2004. Xerox is working with financial institutions and other partners to reduce the risk of fraud involved when checks are scanned and printed - "substitute checks." This security feature is not just confined to "checks", but extends to other documents, such as "legal contracts", as well.

Other Fraud:
According to the FBI, fraud consists of two major categories:
  • Duplicating or counterfeiting, which is the reproduction of an original document with today's high tech equipment.
  • Forgery, which consists of obtaining an original document 1] and altering the original information using chemicals, erasure, or scraping.
Theft does not have to be involved. Alterations can be made to a legitimately issued check.

Protection against duplication and alteration:

DuplicationXerox Fraud Solution: warning bands
AlterationXerox Fraud Solution: chemical void
Paper-based FeaturesXerox Fraud Solution: visible fibers
Ink-based FeaturesXerox Fraud Solution: heat reactive ink
Image-based FeaturesXerox Fraud Solution: padlock icon


With different safeguard levels:

Overt FeaturesXerox Fraud Solution: bleedthrough numbering
Covert FeaturesXerox Fraud Solution: fluorescent inks


Check Auditing:

Media Log accounts for each sheet of paper by tracking sheets from the time that they are fed, to their subsequent disposition.

Resource Security:

Allows password control on check-related resources such as fonts, logos and signatures, which are encrypted when not in use. Each supervisor has a unique password and can log in remotely to allow an operator to run a job. Resource Security is available for LCDS/Metacode, PCL or PostScript jobs.

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