A visual security feature is provided that is disposed on a target. The visual security feature includes two substantially transparent layers. At least one of the two substantially transparent layers is present in an image-wise pattern.

A visual security feature is provided that is disposed on a target. The visual security feature includes two substantially transparent layers. At least one of the two substantially transparent layers is present in an image-wise pattern.

A forensic feature for a secure document comprises a base document layer and a covert material applied to the base document layer. The covert material includes a carrier and forensic material within the carrier. The forensic material includes a ratio of salts or oxides of metals, such as rare earth metals. The ratio is selected to correspond with a source of the document. The forensic material may be mixed into a coating or ink that is applied at predetermined locations on a secure document. The ratio is then measurable from metal ion signals of the salts or oxides. This ratio, or some metric derived from it, may be linked with information embedded elsewhere in the document to enable verification of the document. Another forensic document feature has a forensic metric that is measurable from a covert material in the document, and this forensic metric corresponds to a source of the document. A blocking layer applied over the covert material prevents access to the covert material such that at least partial destruction of the document is required to measure the forensic metric. The blocking layer may have a blocking property that blocks electromagnetic waves from activating the covert material, or blocks the electromagnetic waves from the covert material in response to the activating waves. The blocking layer is deconstructed to access the forensic feature, verify the document and perform forensic tracking.

A forensic feature for a secure document comprises a base document layer and a covert material applied to the base document layer. The covert material includes a carrier and forensic material within the carrier. The forensic material includes a ratio of salts or oxides of metals, such as rare earth metals. The ratio is selected to correspond with a source of the document. The forensic material may be mixed into a coating or ink that is applied at predetermined locations on a secure document. The ratio is then measurable from metal ion signals of the salts or oxides. This ratio, or some metric derived from it, may be linked with information embedded elsewhere in the document to enable verification of the document. Another forensic document feature has a forensic metric that is measurable from a covert material in the document, and this forensic metric corresponds to a source of the document. A blocking layer applied over the covert material prevents access to the covert material such that at least partial destruction of the document is required to measure the forensic metric. The blocking layer may have a blocking property that blocks electromagnetic waves from activating the covert material, or blocks the electromagnetic waves from the covert material in response to the activating waves. The blocking layer is deconstructed to access the forensic feature, verify the document and perform forensic tracking.

There provided is a client device including a first change unit for changing authentication information from individual authentication information to common authentication information, which is authentication information commonly used by each client device, in a case where a transmission of first operation information is failed due to an authentication error, and a second transmission unit for transmitting second operation information to the server device by using the common authentication information changed by the first change unit.

A distributed authentication system and method comprises a smart card and a smart card reader, at least one processor; and a storage device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the storage device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving information that is provided to the smart card reader from the smart card, the information including authentication information, identifying at least one device where authentication is desired, storing the information on a server wherein the server is accessible by the at least one device where authentication is desired, providing the stored information to the at least one device where authentication is desired, and authenticating a user of the at least one device where authentication is desired according to the stored information.

A security document created by laminating a metalized foil between transparent layers, and modifying the outside of the foil to form a base color of the document, while leaving a window area formed by an unmodified portion of the foil. A laser is then used to ablate at least a portion of the unmodified portion of the foil in the window area to create an image. The window area includes the laser ablated image formed therein. The resulting image is transparent, with the image being visible from a front of the security document and visible from a rear of the security document.

A security document created by laminating a metalized foil between transparent layers, and modifying the outside of the foil to form a base color of the document, while leaving a window area formed by an unmodified portion of the foil. A laser is then used to ablate at least a portion of the unmodified portion of the foil in the window area to create an image. The window area includes the laser ablated image formed therein. The resulting image is transparent, with the image being visible from a front of the security document and visible from a rear of the security document.

Systems and methods are described for securing credentials with optical security features formed by quasi-random optical characteristics (QROCs) of credential substrates. A QROC can be a pattern of substrate element locations (SELs) on the substrate that includes some SELs that differ in optical response from surrounding SELs. During manufacturing, a QROC of a substrate can be characterized, hidden by a masking layer, and associated with a substrate identifier. During personalization, personalization data can be converted into an authentication graphic formed on the substrate by de-masking portions of the masking layer according to a de-masking pattern. The graphic formation can result in a representation that manifests a predetermined optical response only when the de-masking pattern is computed with knowledge of the hidden QROC. The authentication graphic and optical response can facilitate simple human authentication of the credential without complex or expensive detection equipment.

A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.