New Technique Could Trace Documents By Printer

An anonymous reader submits "From this article at Purdue News, 'Researchers at Purdue University have developed a method that will enable authorities to trace documents to specific printers, a technique law-enforcement agencies could use to investigate counterfeiting, forgeries and homeland security matters.' The neat thing is that they are exploiting the characteristics of the print process itself to identify the printer." <update> One of the folks e-mailed me to say that the HP LaserJet 9000dn was one of the big ones tested with.

Comments

Sorry but...

[mfh]

The technique uses two methods to trace a document: first, by analyzing a document to identify characteristics that are unique for each printer, and second by designing printers to purposely embed individualized characteristics in documents.

Sorry to rain on your parade, Homeland Security, but if counterfeiters can counterfeit hard currency worth a damn, they can certainly hack a printer to make it quickly change configurations at the drop of a hat. Get your marker and bic pens ready, all ye counterfeiters!

Re:Sorry but...

[ZZeta]

In fact, a lot of effort seems to be put in stopping our regular Joe from counterfeiting hard currency. They have taken action against small time counterfeiters through this method or the hexagon (or was it a pentagon) that's printed in every 20 Dollars bill.

But the really big counterfitter, the one that's printing millions of dollars every month doesn't use HP's Laserjet. Come on guys, do you really think they're printing currency in a small time printer?

Government should be after big-time counterfiters, those settled in Colombia or North Korea. Those guys actually influence US economy.
Not John Doe who amuzes himself printing 5 bucks in his HP printer to brag with his friends.

But that's not the only way

[bizpile]

The neat thing is that they are exploiting the characteristics of the print process itself to identify the printer.

From the article:
The technique uses two methods to trace a document: first, by analyzing a document to identify characteristics that are unique for each printer, and second by designing printers to purposely embed individualized characteristics in documents.

So there are actually two ways and the second requires redesigning printers. I wonder if the government will push printer makers in to changing their printer in the "interest of national security."

Note to counterfeiters

[multiplexo]

Purchase printer with cash. Do not register printer. Dispose of printer after a certain number of counterfeiting runs. Counterfeit more money to purchase more printers, repeat as necessary.

As far as those who are concerned about the government secretly tracking them down by the printer signatures in their anonymous manifestoes I think there are other things to worry about from the government.

Re:Note to counterfeiters

[Frank T. Lofaro Jr.]

If you are going to encourage criminals, at least do it right. Here is what to suggest.

Steal printer in dead of night while wearing masks. Register printer to people in rival crime syndicates. Use printer to weigh down the bodies you throw in the river. Use the counterfeit money to buy drugs, sell the drugs (at a nice profit, thanks to the DEA helping keep prices high by limiting supply to those who know how to be effective criminals) to get real money and use that money to buy new masks and paper for the printer. Sure you could steal those too, but that is beneath you if you call yourself a professional criminal. :)

Homeland

[Halo-]

Ah yes.... "Homeland Security". I'm so sick of this word, it's like "paradigm shift" except polictically loaded. The "for the children" of our generation. Why is it no one can discuss anything vaguely security related without linking it to "Homeland Security"? It's practically to the point that your Happy Meal(tm) come with free Homeland Security(tm) inside!

Does anyone beleive that if these devices make it to market, the "evil doers" are going to rush right out to the store and buy a printer with a "Homeland Security Inside" sticker on it? And then properly register it? Anyone with serious criminal intent is either going to use a non-equiped printer, or a printer which is stolen or misleadingly registered.

Don't get me wrong, this is kinda cool, and I'm sure it will help for things like kidnappings, but "Homeland Security"? Give me a break.

Re:Already in place.

[Greyfox]

I worked for a printing systems company a while back and I seem to recall management mentioning that the company cooperates with the government in terms of helping to track printers and foil counterfeiters. I don't believe it's a microscopic number, but every printer will print slightly differently due to flaws in the manufacturing processes for heads and toner cartrdiges and the materials they use. The upshot of all that is that if The Law suspected that a letter came from your printer, they CAN verify that, given the original letter and your printer. It'd be pretty easy to send type samples for every printer serial number off to some federal database somewhere, though I don't know that it's done currently.

Say goodbye to the anonymous press.

[gellenburg]

Jefferson is rolling over in his grave.