Counterfeiting

Scientists have devised a method of using fish scales to convey encrypted messages. Not only would the technology divert seafood industry waste from landfills, it should also be less costly than existing options such as special inks.

While there are now a number of handheld systems for checking if a medication is the genuine article or a counterfeit, most require users to access an online database. The SmartID system, on the other hand, works entirely offline.

Just like pharmaceuticals, banknotes and alcoholic beverages, the crop seeds sold to farmers are frequently counterfeits. MIT scientists have devised a method of spotting the fakes, by tagging genuine seeds with silk dots.

Candy sprinkles may make desserts more interesting, but a scientist has developed what could be a much more valuable use for them. His CandyCode system might one day be utilized to confirm that supposedly authentic pills aren't actually counterfeits.

Although an increasing number of countries are switching to sturdier, harder-to-copy polymer banknotes, the things still are being counterfeited. A new technology could help weed those fakes out, by taking their fingerprints.

Most of today's anti-counterfeiting labels have one thing in common: they're visible, meaning that counterfeiters can attempt to replicate their appearance. An experimental new sticker, however, contains "invisible" imagery.

Researchers have developed a kind of electronic “invisible ink” that can alert users to unauthorized tampering with a device. When the chip is exposed to light it will erase information printed on it, making it clear that someone’s opened the box.

​It seems that the more technology progresses, the easier it becomes to produce convincing counterfeit goods. Scientists at the University of Copenhagen are fighting back, however, with product tags that they claim cannot be replicated – even by an item's legitimate manufacturer.

​Although 3D printers are able to produce some amazing objects, they can also crank out counterfeit goods, illegal firearms, and other not-so-nice creations. Soon, if someone is suspected of making such items, it could be possible to match the objects to that person's printer.

​As more and more products are manufactured via 3D printing, the potential for 3D-printed counterfeit versions rises accordingly. With that in mind, scientists have devised a method of ensuring that a printed item is the real thing, by building an "exploded" QR code into it.

IBM Research has released its annual “5 in 5” list, outlining five technologies that the company believes will be instrumental over the next five years. This year’s list focuses on security and AI, predicting that by 2023 we’ll have unhackable encryption, unbiased AI and mainstream quantum computers

Researchers from Vanderbilt University have created the world's smallest continuous spirals. The spirals exhibit a set of very specific optical properties that would be difficult to fake, making them ideal for use in identity cards or other items where authenticity is paramount.