HID Global combats counterfeiting with its IoT-based brand protection solution

Protecting major brands against counterfeiting and grey market activities is a global challenge, which yields the same result regardless of the industry: lost sales and a poor customer experience that are damaging to the brand.

HID Global, a worldwide provider of trusted identity solutions, has responded to this escalating issue by increasing its investments in HID’s IoT-based brand protection services and expanding its community of partners who develop and deliver seamless front-end experiences to global brands and consumers.

Securely authenticating products with mobile

HID leverages Apple’s NFC read capabilities to drive mass adoption and help the average consumer avoid being duped by counterfeit products"

These initiatives are bringing peace of mind to both manufacturers seeking to safeguard their brands and consumers who want to verify the authenticity of their purchases in a trusted IoT environment. HID Trusted Tag Services make this possible by securely authenticating products from the time of production, through every step of the distribution process, and at the point of consumer sale–all with a simple tap of an Android or iOS phone. 

“As a pioneer of brand protection, HID is able to quickly leverage Apple’s NFC read capabilities to drive mass adoption and help the average consumer avoid being duped by counterfeit products,” said Mark Robinton, Director Business Development and Strategic Innovation at HID Global. “Our solution goes beyond adding trust to the global supply chain; it also opens a secure channel for brands to engage directly with consumers as part of their brand loyalty strategy.”

Authentication solutions to prevent counterfeiting 

• In the United States, New York City based partner Blue Bite has launched an authentication suite, which uses HID Trusted Tag Services for major European brands, in partnership with Italy based Temera.

“Brands are adopting product authentication to help protect against the negative effects of counterfeiting," said Mikhail Damiani, Blue Bite CEO. "We've developed a highly secure and scalable authentication solution that uses the power of NFC to empower both brands and customers alike in their fight against this growing issue."

• In Canada, Toronto based partner Authentic or Not is working with HID to provide a secure brand authentication experience to major brands.

Ahmer Beg, Founder and CEO of Authentic or Not, added, “With our patented technology, we are in the business of adding intelligence to products and unlocking real-world engagement with consumers. HID Trusted Tag Services provide the secure bridge between products and the digital world to make this possible. We see a future where counterfeit goods can be easily rooted out and brands can provide customers with VIP experiences through our platform.”

Using HID Trusted Tag Services

• In the United Kingdom, London based partner Skute is using HID Trusted Tag Services to unlock real-time, hyper-personalised experiences for a new wave of fan engagement.

“Our platform is shifting the paradigm in fan engagement by giving consumers secure, authentic and direct access to their favourite musical artist, athletes, teams and brands, all via a variety of creative form factors so organisations can facilitate exclusive direct marketing experiences. This exclusivity translates to the younger market too–in industries such as gaming, toys and music–where Skute gives parents peace of mind that their children can safely engage with various channels in a ‘ring fenced’ IoT ecosystem,” said Dan Lewis, CEO of Skute. 

• In Australia, Tasmanian based partner AusNFC uses HID Trusted Tag Services with their web application Old Kimpton Distillery and McHenry Distillery.

“We believe that HID Trusted Tag Services are changing the game for securely authenticating brands. Being able to stay connected and engage with their consumers as part of building brand loyalty was a deciding factor when Old Kimpton Distillery and McHenry Distillery chose HID for brand protection,” said Larry Hower, CEO of AusNFC.

Combining cloud authentication with NFC tags

HID Trusted Tag Services combine HID’s cloud authentication services with its trusted NFC tags that come in many form factors for variety of product shapes and sizes requiring brand authentication. HID’s trusted NFC tags are embedded into each product during the manufacturing process, and are easily read using NFC-enabled smartphones (both Android and iOS v11 and newer).

The advanced cryptographic capabilities of the embedded tags make them virtually impossible to be cloned or copied, and the extended security features in HID’s cloud authentication service provide privacy-preserving brand authentication and consumer engagement in a closed and trusted environment.