Presented at
DEF CON 33 (2025),
Aug. 10, 2025, 2 p.m.
(20 minutes).
Anticounterfeiting is an obscure and private world. Companies tightly hold their secrets and rely heavily on security through obscurity. But banknotes and government IDs aren’t the only targets of counterfeiting. Live events are increasingly targeted as ticket prices increase. The fast moving and dynamic nature of live events makes both counterfeiting and anticounterfeiting a more complex challenge. The limited time before the event ends is a key defense for event producers.
But with a basic mix of social engineering, arts and crafts, and keen observation most of these credentials can be defeated using DIY techniques. Even advanced measures like UV ink or holograms can be defeated or avoided with techniques you might have learned in art class. But while copying a credential seems easy enough, there are numerous mistakes that would-be counterfeiters make.
This talk will reveal 11 beginner mistakes to credential copying and how to avoid them. With physical examples of real historical credentials from NASA, NATO, the US Navy, the NFL, and more, this talk will leave you ready to fake a badge like a pro.
References:
- Anticounterfeiting Techniques & DIY replications:
- Holograms - [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv-38lwV6vc)
- Watermarks - [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEVGU46_KZE)
- EURion constellation - [link](https://people.duke.edu/~ng46/collections/steg-eurion-constellation.htm)
- [NFC cloning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ElZBI9PufY)
- Ultraviolet Ink - [link](https://people.duke.edu/~ng46/collections/steg-ultra-violet.htm)
- Security threads - [article](https://www.delarue.com/articles/how-does-security-thread-work), [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJhgESkbca0)
- Event Credentialing Standards:
- Public Venue Credentialing - [link](https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/public-venues-credentialing-guide)
- Public Venue Security Screening - [link](https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/public-venue-security-screening-guide)
- The Event Safety Guide & ANSI ES1.40 – 2023 Event Safety - Event Security - [link](https://eventsafetyalliance.org/standards-guidance)
Presenters:
-
Russell Phillips
With over two decades of experience in the event and information security industries, Russell Phillips is a leader in event access control. Russell coordinates all aspects of event access control technology and leads the Information Security team at SXSW, and has been instrumental to the operational success of one of the largest cultural events in the world. His in depth field experience in the myriad hardware, software, and human complications provides him with nuanced insights into turning policy into practice. Running among the world’s largest mobile event access control deployment provides the perfect testing ground to hone training, implementation, and incident response.
A lifelong proponent of the hacker ethos, Russell remains fascinated with all technology weird and wonderful. Mesh SDR networks and at-home pulse dialing telephony are current personal project areas.
Russell is a Certified Information Security Systems Professional and a member of Telephone Collectors International.
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