Infineon Technologies and DIGISEQ, an IoT platform provider with end-to-end service, are using SECORA Blockchain NFC technology to deliver secured identity data. The solution connects the digital data recorded on blockchain to the physical item, allowing for comprehensive verification of the identity of items – eliminating the challenge of product substitution and heightening supply chain transparency.
In the report “Trends in Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods”* from 2019, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) stated that the industries most negatively impacted by counterfeiting activities are consumer goods, business-to-business products, IT goods and luxury items. The report shows that in 2016, imports of counterfeit and pirated products into the EU amounted to as much as 121 billion Euro (134 billion US-Dollar) representing 6.8 percent of EU imports, as compared to 5 percent in 2013. SECORA Blockchain with secured physical asset verification offers a promising anti-counterfeit solution that seeks to alleviate this trend and boost transparency in affected markets.
Reliable and secured verification of the digital identity
Today, blockchain is already used to provide a mechanism to prove the provenance of scarce or limited-edition goods. However, such processes often rely upon the public trust in the manufacturer and third-party handlers of a product. Even when vetting processes are put in place to clear contributors, sources for blockchain data are often dependent on data carriers like QR codes, which can be highly prone to replication or fraud. It is challenging to check if no substitution of the good occurred at any point of transfer, or if the object is truthfully as scarce as it is claimed to be.
The SECORA Blockchain device contains a crypto enabled NFC chip. It can effectively store the private key to sign transactions on the blockchain. Such a security controller is able to protect secret keys from logical and physical attacks, allowing to protect the system from unauthorized data. As project partner, DIGISEQ will provide the system with over-the-internet data-delivery capability. It allows unique secured identity data to be delivered into the chips that are physically embedded into the individual items. Item-level data will be configured to flow into the blockchain ledger automatically.