Fingerprinting Blank Paper Using Commodity Scanners

  • Authors:
  • William Clarkson;Tim Weyrich;Adam Finkelstein;Nadia Heninger;J. Alex Halderman;Edward W. Felten

  • Affiliations:
  • -;-;-;-;-;-

  • Venue:
  • SP '09 Proceedings of the 2009 30th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

We develop a novel technique for authenticating physical documentsby using random, naturally occurring imperfections in paper texture.To this end, we devised a new method for measuring thethree-dimensional surface of a paper without modifying the documentin any way, using only a commodity scanner.From this physicalfeature, we generate a concise fingerprint that uniquely identifiesthe document.Our method is secure against counterfeiting, robustto harsh handling, and applicable even before any content is printedon a page.It has a wide range of applications, including detectingforged currency and tickets, authenticating passports, and haltingcounterfeit goods.On a more sinister note, document identificationcould be used to de-anonymize printed surveys and to compromise thesecrecy of paper ballots.