GE Combating Identity Theft With Plastic Holographic Storage Advance

Engineering giant GE claims its researchers have made a breakthrough by integrating holographic storage directly into the plastic material used to make ID and credit cards.

Scientists at GE Global Research claimed this week to have made an advance in the use of holographic materials for authentication by integrating the technology directly into plastic. Holograms are commonly used on ID and credit cards today but are stamped onto the surface where they are more open to being tampered with. GE said it has moved the process on with its Secure ID technology, which stores the holograms within the physical plastic material of the card itself which the company believes makes it virtually impossible to interfere with.

“Whether you’re buying something at the store, passing through an airport checkpoint, or presenting proof of health insurance at the doctor’s office, virtually all of our common, everyday transactions are carried out using plastic,” said Dr. Moitreyee Sinha, manager, Functional and Optical Materials Lab. “Ensuring the security of our bank cards and different forms of ID is essential in this increasingly digital age. GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Secure ID card technology will provide a true step change in the level of security, making it virtually impossible to steal a person’s identity or tamper with their cards in any way.”

Developed in conjunction with SABIC Innovative Plastics, the new holographic material can also be molded and shaped, which it says is a first for the industry. “The market opportunities for GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ holographic technology are numerous,” said Tom Stanley, vice president of technology, SABIC Innovative Plastics.

“Because these special holographic materials can be injection-molded, the potential applications of this technology could be expanded well beyond cards. You could use our technology to verify the authenticity of a variety of products, ranging from laptop computers, cell phones and other electronic devices to sunglasses and other consumer goods.”

Another feature of integrating the hologram material into the plastic of the card itself is that it allows more scope for multiple holograms in a plastic card and more personalised features. “We can store 3-D images of a person’s face, record their fingerprints and even create unique animations within our holographic plastic materials. We also can control the visibility of what a person can see on the card. This will enable varying levels of security features that are needed for different applications,” Dr. Sinha added.

Earlier this month, the UK government announced that its ID cards will be available to people who live and work in Greater Manchester and want to sign-up for the scheme. The government is asking people to sign-up for appointments to register for the £30 cards, which will be held from the end of this month, with the first cards expected to be issued around the same time. The Tories remain opposed to the scheme and claim they will scrap it.