The Role of Security Certificates in Global Trade

Since no transaction will ever take place without security, hundreds of millions of goods pass through international borders every day with certificates of authentication, inspections reports and various other supporting documents. Although such documentation guarantees the authenticity, quality and safety of your goods, this documentation is also often abused by fraudsters in order to con their customers. A falsified certificate can quickly translate into goods of inferior quality making their way into the market, impacting your brand and/or safety. Thus, it is clear that security certificates cannot be seen as an advantage, but as an imperative in business dealings worldwide.

Why Standard Certificates Fail at Borders

The standard certificate is not adequate for security features can simply not be added and it is susceptible to simple copies or alteration. Given the extremely short time which officials at border checks, warehouses and customs officials are given to assess the authenticity of a security certificate they only have the time to identify crudely falsified documents. Acceptance of fraudulent certificates can cause catastrophe in many areas. Fraudulently certified electronics may not be working properly, even cause damage to property through fire. Similarly, falsified medicine may result in death; falsified car parts may cause accidents. Even with the simplest cases of personal identity fraud in a document this can become hugely complex and costly.

With a system of security features in place on a Yiko security certificate it becomes incredibly easy and evident to identify fraud at the border. With a simple check of a Yiko certificate against a light source, the watermark should easily become apparent, whereas if you change the viewing angle the security colors should automatically change without equipment, and be easily visible to all interested parties from afar. Both these steps are extremely important to identifying falsified documents at the border. Below is a list of the security features readily visible and checkable with the Yiko security certificate; holo-transfer, UV fluorescent marking, external database checking, to identify fraud instantly at the border in a minimum of less than ten seconds for a logistics manager.

How Security Certificates Enable Fast Verification

It stands to reason that a security certificate would need to be appropriate to the value and/or danger of the product it pertains to. High-value goods such as designer jewelery will need to incorporate visually accessible security features that deter potential theft. Whereas, ingredients for medicine may require covert security features only checkable by specialist inspectors or trained personnel. There are many different security features and they can be incorporated in a Yiko security certificate.

There will always be the standard visible hologram which will clearly demonstrate its changing appearance dependent on viewpoint and light conditions. Beneath this, the Yiko certificate also shows UV fluorescent marking allowing serial or batch numbers to be visually displayed and checked against an external database. Embedded within the text of a Yiko security certificate will be microscopically small printing to show laser codes. For products with a higher value, a RFID tag could be inserted. Yiko produces over two hundred thousand security certificates each day.

Layered Protection for High-Value Shipments

The security level needs to vary among shipments. High-end handbag shipments should have obvious deterrents. A shipment of pharmaceutical ingredients requires hidden characteristics that only specific inspectors are able to recognize. Yiko protects each certificate with multiple layers of security so that clients can select their level of security.

For instance, our security certificates may feature a visible transfer hologram as the main security seal. Under this, there are batch numbers and expiration dates visible using UV fluorescence. Laser coding adds miniature text that can only be seen under a microscope. RFID labels, which are embedded in the certificate, are linked to digital tracking systems in order to track the high-value cargo. All of these layers make it more difficult for the counterfeiter but keep the cost per unit down. Yiko is able to provide multiple layers of protection to global supply chains at 200,000 pieces per day.

Tamper Evidence for Chain of Custody

It is important to remember that a certificate cannot truly be said to be authentic unless the information on the document can be proven not to have been altered from the original printing. Expiration dates, quantity or item numbers can be altered easily from standard certificates but are impossible from a high-security Yiko certificate. Attempting to tamper with a Yiko security certificate would cause both visual and colored anomalies to appear and the hologram would show 'VOID' or a checker board effect, and the ink could be removed using a cleaning chemical leaving a blank certificate. It is of utmost importance that security documents offer such readily detectable features.

Integration with Digital Authentication Systems

Security certificates need not only be made tamper proof and visually security savvy but also need to digitally secure themselves as well. Yiko's high security certificate not only benefits from these anti-fraud features, but also uses radio frequency identification and bar codes. As well, QR codes are now also supplied as part of the Yiko high security certificate which may be scanned via a smart phone, and the product's entire production and distribution history provided. Distinguishing fraudulent from a genuine certificate can be critically important.

Cost-Effective Security for Every Trading Partner

Gone are the days that advanced security documents are only affordable by mega corporations. Because Yiko works in a direct to worldwide seller/supplier business model, its security certificates can offer advanced security features at an affordable price and guarantee the efficiency of the security document without inflating any cost to a transaction. This represents a cost-effective, efficient and affordable method to avoid losing out on fraudulent sales, avoid product liability lawsuits, and the potential damage of brand value with every shipment. Security certificates act as guardians of the goods and maintain trust at all levels in the supply chain.

Conclusion

The silent sentinels of world trade are security certificates. They safeguard consumers from unsafe counterfeits. They safeguard brands against damage. They safeguard the supply chains from disruptions. Yiko security certificates combine watermarks, UV fluorescence, holography, laser coding and RFID technology to deliver cost-effective, instantly verifiable, and forgery-resistant protection. Your certificate is your guarantee in international trade. Make it secure with Yiko.