Glossary

An electrostatic digital printing process that produces text and graphics by repeatedly passing a laser beam back and forth over a negatively charged cylinder called a ‘drum’, which defines a differentially charged image. Laser colour digital copiers use this printing technique. It is a technique used in counterfeiting banknotes and other security documents.

An umbrella term for solving problems for which development of algorithms by human programmers would be cost-prohibitive, and instead the problems are solved by helping machines ‘discover’ their ‘own’ algorithms, without needing to be explicitly told what to do by any human-developed algorithms. While artificial intelligence encompasses the idea of a machine that can mimic human intelligence, machine learning does not. Machine learning aims to teach a machine how to perform a specific task and provide accurate results by identifying patterns.

A security feature requiring an instrument to verify its presence or data content.

The ability of a computer to see. The technology and methods used to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for such applications as automatic inspection, process control, and robot guidance, usually in industry.

An analytical technique to quantify known materials and identify unknown compounds within a sample and elucidate the structure and chemical properties of different molecules.

A shipping unit of tobacco products – usually comprising 25 or 50 cartons.

A 2D barcode (eg. datamatrix, QR code, dotcode), typically square-shaped, capable of representing more data per unit area than a linear barcode.

A multistep account login process that requires users to enter more information than just a password. For example, along with the password, users might be asked to enter a code sent to their email, answer a secret question, or scan a fingerprint.

A method of wireless data transfer between two electronic devices over a distance of 4cm or less.

Tobacco products other than cigarettes, such as cigars and pipe tobacco.

In computing and telecommunications, the payload is the part of transmitted data that is the actual intended message.

Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application. They are said to form a peer-to-peer network of nodes.

An additional blockchain security system that maintains an access control layer to allow certain actions to be performed only by certain identifiable participants.

The fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

A device that utilises the unique, random, physical variations which occur naturally in a physical structure and which provide that structure with a ‘fingerprint’ that serves as a unique identifier. See also Fingerprinting – document.

An automated system installed on product manufacturing lines, using sensors and scanners to provide tax authorities and other government agencies with full visibility on what is being produced and ensure that every production unit has been affixed with a valid unique identifier, tax stamp, or secure label.

A set of policies, processes, server platforms, software, and workstations used for administering public key certificates and public-private key pairs, including the ability to issue, maintain, and revoke certificates.

A cooperative arrangement between two or more public (ie. government) and private sector entities.

A computer that uses specialised technology – including computer hardware and algorithms that take advantage of quantum mechanics – to solve complex problems that classical computers can’t solve, or can’t solve quickly enough.

Semiconductor particles a few nanometres in size with optical and electronic properties that differ from larger particles due to quantum mechanics. Quantum dots may be ‘tuned’ to provide specific visual effects.

A fundamental theory in physics that describes the behaviour of nature at and below the scale of atoms. It is the foundation of all quantum physics.

The basic unit of information used to encode data in quantum computing. Can be best understood as the quantum equivalent of the traditional bit used by classical computers to encode information in binary.

A type of 2D matrix barcode which stores information as a series of pixels in a square-shaped grid. Typically, smartphones are used to scan QR codes, displaying an image of the code and converting it to, say, a standard URL for a website. QR codes can store up to 4,296 alphanumeric or 7,089 numeric characters and are clearly distinguished from datamatrix barcodes by large squares placed at three corners of the code, which are used for alignment. Compared to standard UPC barcodes, QR codes offer faster reading of the optical image and greater data storage capacity in applications such as product tracking and item identification.

An act of cybersecurity fraud using QR codes to redirect victims to malicious websites or prompt them to download harmful content. The goal of this fraud is to steal sensitive information, such as passwords, financial data, or personally identifiable information, and use that information for other purposes, such as identity theft, financial fraud, or ransomware.

A wireless, non contact technology that uses radio waves to transfer data and passively identify a tagged object. RFID systems are usually comprised of an RFID reader, microchip tags, and antennas. The reader gives off radio waves and gets signals back from the tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information. The tags are now so small that they can be neatly implanted into paper. They can typically be detected at distances ranging from a few millimetres to several metres. RFID is used in various commercial and industrial applications, including tracking items along a supply chain.

A common business process for collecting written information about the capabilities of various suppliers. Normally, an RFI follows a format that can be used for comparative purposes. An RFI is primarily used to gather information to help make a decision on what steps to take next. RFIs are therefore seldom the final stage of procurement and are instead often used in combination with a request for proposal (RFP) and request for quotation (RFQ).

A document that solicits a proposal from suppliers, often as part of a bidding process, by an agency interested in procuring a commodity or service. An RFP is used when a general need or problem must be solved, and potential sellers are proposing solutions and how much they will cost. Companies evaluating an RFP must consider not only the cost but the effectiveness of the solution.

A document that solicits quotations from suppliers often as part of a bidding process, by an agency interested in procuring a commodity or service. An RFQ is used when a quote is needed for a specific need and solution.

Also called returning exports, where products are manufactured and designated for export, then exported in order to avoid domestic taxes, and subsequently smuggled back into the original jurisdiction.

The integration of physical and digital security features into a track and trace system to ensure that illicit traders are not able to, for instance, generate their own, functioning, unique identifying codes, nor copy existing codes, nor access confidential information contained in or linked to those codes. The difference between commercial parcel tracking systems and systems used for government-regulated products such as cigarettes, is one of security. Parcel tracking systems are at less risk of being manipulated by parties within the distribution chain than systems used to track cigarettes and other products exposed to illicit trade.

A semiconducting material has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as metal, and an insulator, such as glass. Semiconductive inks can be used to create printed antennae.

The application of a unique identifier to each unit in a lot or batch. The identifiers are numbers but might be printed as alphanumerics or barcodes or might be embedded in a chip activated by radio frequency (RFID). The numbers may be sequential or randomly generated; what is important is that the same number should not be used twice.

A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller directly written into lines of code. The code and the agreements contained therein exist across a distributed, decentralised blockchain network.

A cellular (or mobile) telephone with an integrated computer, camera, and other features not originally associated with a mobile phone.

the fraudulent practice of sending text messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

The illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations, often to avoid taxation.

The practice of representing information within another message or physical object so that its presence is not evident in human inspection. The advantage of steganography over cryptography alone is that the intended secret message does not attract attention to itself as an object of scrutiny

The standard language used to communicate with relational database management systems (ie. systems which store and provide access to data points that relate to one another). SQL statements are used to perform tasks such as updating and retrieving data.

A mobile or web application that can provide multiple services including payment and financial transaction processing, effectively becoming an all-encompassing self-contained commerce and communication online platform that embraces many aspects of personal and commercial life.

Individuals or organisations involved in moving products from manufacturer to consumer.

A protocol for arranging the bars and spaces of barcodes for the encoding of numbers, letters and binary numbers.

A label or tag applied to an item that denotes that tax or excise duty has been paid on the item.

The process of identifying the origin of an item or where it has been.

The process of monitoring and recording the past and present whereabouts of an item, as it passes through different operators on its way to its destination.

The process of following an item through the supply chain so its whereabouts are known at all times.

A person or legal entity providing and preserving digital certificates to create and validate electronic signatures and authenticate their signatories.The TSP has the responsibility to assure the integrity of electronic identification for signatories and services through strong mechanisms for authentication, electronic signatures and digital certificates.

While RFID is a generic term encompassing different operating radio frequencies and standards, UHF is a frequency band covering 300MHz to 3GHz. UHF systems are known for generating long read ranges, up to 12m, whereas high frequency (HF) systems carry a much shorter read range, of approximately 1m. UHF allows for a faster data transfer rate, up to 20 times the range and speed of HF systems.

Colloquially termed ‘web address’. A reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it.

In the context of product traceability, a unique identifier is a serial number, assigned by a central authority for application to unit packages of products for the purpose of track and trace. No two serial numbers are the same, thereby allowing for the identification of individual retail-saleable items throughout the supply chain.

The smallest individual packaging of a tobacco product (one pack of cigarettes usually holds 20 individual sticks).