Putting Security First

And now, as criminals get better at product simulating and tampering, brand owners need to protect their end users from the resulting health risks, subpar products, and higher product costs, said Ken Traub, president/ CEO of American Bank Note Holographics, Inc. (ABNH, Elmsford, N.Y.).

Manufacturers also have to protect themselves from lost revenues and liability issues, and problems related to the integrity of their brand. "Financial documents such as currency and credit cards have long been designed with strong counterfeit deterrence features, and now consumer packaged products are greatly improving the security of their packaging in order to address the increased threat of counterfeit products," Traub said. "Counterfeiting and tampering undermines the integrity and the consumer confidence in a branded product. A single tragic incident can tarnish the reputation of a manufacturer or brand owner for decades."