Mr Tang: If someone leaks out sensitive information, they can be traced using a derivative of the document.

Crumple it, shred it, douse it in water or take a photograph of it – any document can now be traced back to the person who printed it, thanks to an innovative technology from Singapore-based infosecurity company RadianTrust.

ID-Trace is the latest capability to be added to the company flagship Phidelity solution, which ensures that hardcopy documents cannot be reproduced or modified by unauthorised parties. The technology, which was showcased at the recent iGov Global Exchange exhibition, closes the loop in ensuring that confidential information is not leaked out from an organisation through printed documents.

Using steganography – the science of hiding secret messages – ID-Trace inserts a covert, traceable “electronic fingerprint” into electronic documents. When these documents are printed using any ordinary printer, the output will have the “fingerprint” which contains information such as the identity of the user who printed the document, the time it was printed, and the machine that was used.

If a leaked copy of a confidential document is obtained, this hidden information can be retrieved by converting the document back into a soft copy, and running this via ID-Trace. The technology works even with derivatives of the original document such as a faxed copy, a photograph, a partially burnt copy, or even a copy that has been shredded and pieced back together.

“If someone leaks out sensitive information, they can be traced using a derivative of the document and the organisation can do damage control to prevent a future recurrence of the incident. This serves as a deterrent effect because print will no longer be an ungoverned channel, said RadianTrust’s General Manager Tang Weng Sing.

The primary target market for the technology includes sectors such as government, financial services and healthcare, but Mr Tang believes that the potential applications do not stop there.

Almost any company with sensitive information such as design specifications, source code, customer details or pricing information can make use of ID-Trade to provide complete protection of their printed documents, he said.