Over the past year, counterfeiters have become more sophisticated, online fraud has evolved at pace, supply chains have grown increasingly complex and governments have faced mounting pressure to protect revenues, identities and citizens. At the same time, brands are expanding into new markets, new channels and new licensing opportunities, creating fresh challenges around visibility, control and authenticity.

These pressures are not isolated challenges. They are connected by a common requirement: the ability to authenticate trust across physical and digital ecosystems.

By bringing together the heritage of De La Rue Authentication and OpSec Security, we combined more than 110 years of specialist expertise to create a business capable of addressing threats that no longer sit in isolation. From licensing and product authentication through to traceability, online brand protection, government revenue solutions and identity security, our ambition was to provide a more connected approach to some of the world's most pressing challenges.

One year on, that vision feels more relevant than ever. A counterfeit product can originate in a supply chain, appear on an online marketplace, damage brand reputation and undermine consumer confidence all before a business has the opportunity to respond. Governments face similar challenges, requiring greater visibility across products, transactions and identities to combat illicit trade, protect revenues and strengthen public trust.

Addressing these issues requires more than standalone technologies. It requires visibility, intelligence and protection that extends from origin to outcome.

Over the last 12 months, we have continued to strengthen our ability to support customers across that full lifecycle. From advanced micro-optics technologies that make products and packaging significantly harder to counterfeit to advanced overt security features and AI-powered, intelligence-led online brand protection services, our focus has been on helping brands authenticate trust at every stage.

Increasingly, customers are looking for solutions that bridge physical and digital environments. They want to know where products have come from, where they are going, whether they are genuine and how they are being represented online. The ability to both connect these insights and use them for growth is becoming a critical differentiator in a world where threats move seamlessly between physical and digital channels.

The impact of this work is reflected not only in the technologies we continue to develop but in the outcomes we help deliver.

Over the past year, Crane Authentication has enabled over 2.6 million compliant online enforcements and protected over 16 billion products with our secure labels for governments, brands and licensing customers worldwide.

Behind these figures are brands protected, illicit activities disrupted and consumers safeguarded.

Built together

Our first year has also reinforced something we have always believed, which is that authentication is as much about expertise as it is technology.

Crane Authentication was built by bringing together exceptional teams, skills and cultures from across the globe around a shared purpose: protecting what matters most. From licensing specialists and product innovators to investigators, intelligence analysts and security experts, it is the knowledge, commitment and collaboration of our people that enables us to realize our ambitions. A big thank you to all our employees around the globe. This milestone belongs to you.

The future

As we look ahead, the need for trusted authentication will only continue to grow. The rise of AI-generated fraud, increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting techniques, evolving compliance requirements and growing expectations around transparency will create new challenges for organizations across every sector.

We will continue to innovate, deepen the connections between physical and digital authentication, strengthen the partnerships we have built with brands and governments and help organizations navigate an increasingly complex world with confidence.

One year ago, we brought together the strengths of De La Rue Authentication and OpSec Security to build trust across every stage of the authentication lifecycle.

Today, Crane Authentication is connecting physical and digital worlds to ensure that every product, partner, interaction and identity can be authenticated with confidence, enabling organizations to operate, grow and innovate in an increasingly complex world.