Anti-fraud paper technology developed

By Erwin Oliva - INQUIRER.net

Forging documents remains a problem in societies where paper remains prevalent, especially in the Asia Pacific region.

Software engineers at HP Labs in Bangalore India, however, have created a way to embed data on any paper using a two-dimensional barcode.

The two-dimensional bar code developed by HP Labs India engineers can be printed on any paper and be read by any regular scanner connected to a PC that runs special software, engineers said.

With a proof-of-concept ready, HP Lab India engineers said a commercial product will be available soon.

A demonstration showed a regular paper document from a Bangalore-based educational institution that comes with a 2D barcode. Scanning the 2D barcode triggers the opening of a browser and the website of the school. The website indicates that the document is an authentic copy of grades given by the school.

Among the applications of the 2D barcode, listed in an HP white paper, are government documents and certificates issued to citizens.

"For instance, the legal possession of agricultural land or urban property is ensured by registering their acquisition at a government office and obtaining registration documents. Such documents need to be preserved and validated as they are valuable to the recipient, for purposes such as raising loans from banks. By authenticating these documents with digital signatures, we can ensure that they can be printed remotely and issued," the HP white paper explained.

The 2D barcode contains more information than the regular bar code, engineers said. HP India is planning to implement the 2D bar code technology for internal use of its employees.

"If every paper document is printed with a 2D barcode, then the potential cost savings are substantial. The necessity for retyping the document is eliminated. In addition, the turnaround time for the paper documents will also be reduced," HP said.