Serial numbers are a recognised and heavily utilised element in the identity security sector. However, we believe that using serial numbers on a number of different levels can act to increase security and secondly provide a level of complexity that few criminals and counterfeiters will either understand or be able to ‘hack’ or overcome.

Specific ways in which we use serial numbers include:

• Unless otherwise instructed every Bowater Identity card includes a BowaterHologram™ with its own serial number written into the hologram at the point of manufacture.
• All our ID card measures include a serial number that connects them. Replicating an ID would require all parts of the ID solution to be copied at the same time.
• To make replicating an ID card harder we can deploy asymmetrical serial. This means that the database can rotate multiple serial numbers against the ID card serial number. This means to copy an ID card you’d have to know which serial number was connected to that ID card at that time.
• We never cancel a serial number but we do change its status to ensure that if someone does attempt to use an ID card or serial number in a manner that is a threat, we can identify when, where and how.
  Our experience indicates that by utlising serial numbers in the way that we have developed means that criminals wishing to counterfeit an ID card, have to replicate every element of Bowater’s solution in detail including those elements that are kept entirely secret within Bowater’s Black Box.

Our experience indicates that by utlising serial numbers in the way that we have developed means that criminals wishing to counterfeit an ID card, have to replicate every element of Bowater’s solution in detail including those elements that are kept entirely secret within Bowater’s Black Box.