Counterfeit goods threaten brands more than ever before in light of increasingly sophisticated methods that counterfeiters employ to infiltrate supply chains with imitation products.
Among the latest technologies used in brand protection is to embed secure NFC tags. These tags can help authenticate products and provide a digital consumer experience. NFC tags enable easy product authentication by the customers with the help of NFC-enabled smartphones. What’s more, there is no need to develop an app or carry out any kind of installation.
Over the years, NFC technology has grown in popularity in its application to brand protection, anti-counterfeiting, asset tracking, and consumer engagement.
Although NFC is a subgroup of RFID technology, there are many varieties of NFC tags to choose from for different solution needs.
When selecting an NFC tag, there are many factors that you need to put into consideration. The specific type of tag needed depends on factors such as the read-range, data storage type or size, security features, read/write speed, durability, etc.
What NFC tag should you use for brand protection?
Proximity Tags
These are commonly defined as “contactless” smart cards or keyfobs and are widely used for security and access control. A proximity tag is an inconspicuous portable device in flexible chip sizes that can be embedded in a convenient part of a product package. It comes empowered with a proximity reading ability of 10 cm and an operating frequency of 13.56 MHz. These tags receive back-end data support as well.
- Operating frequency: 13.56 MHz
- Operating distance: proximity up to 10 cm
- Tamper evidence: unauthorized access to the object is easily detected
- Back-end database support
- Flexible chip sizes for different areas on the package
However, proximity tags are seldom or rarely used in brand protection.
Vicinity Tags
Vicinity tags are a type of NFC tags that enable secure exchange of information and data. These tags are commonly used for brand protection, traceability, as well as inventory management as they allow for product authentication and very fast inventory checks.
- Operating frequency: 13.56 MHz
- Operating distance: vicinity up to 1.2 meters
- Scan multiple NFC Vicinity Tags simultaneously
- Back-end database support
- Flexible chip sizes for different areas on the package
NTAG21X
The NTAG21X tag series has been around for a while and has been extensively deployed across products like publishing, retail and gaming. Their application includes the entire gamut ranging from NFC shelf tags, OOH, product authentication, SoLoMo (social-local-mobile), print media, and smart advertising. These tags have been immensely popular on account of the fact that these are very easily deployed in an extremely user-friendly way.
These tags can be read extremely fast (making for easy scanning) and are very flexible in terms of their shape, sizes, and the materials that they are made of. One can even go for 75 μm IC allowing one to manufacture extremely thin tags that can be very conveniently integrated with things like gaming cards and even magazines.
- Broad choice of user memory sizes to best serve application requirements
- Improved read range to overcome the presence of obstacles between the tag and the NFC device (glass, plastic, fabric)
- Originality signature to protect against product counterfeiting
- Password authentication to protect from unauthorized data access or modification
NTAG424 DNA
Released late in 2018, NTAG424 DNA is a paradigm shifting technology that redefines secure NFC as well as IoT applications. Brands can now effectively fight counterfeit at a cost level that allows for mass market deployment of advanced NFC tags.
With NTAG424 DNA, products can have multi-layered security including privacy protection features so that brands can also combat data fraud such as IP theft, tampering, and data breaches.
This is a new generation chip that takes security and privacy to a whole new level with the help of attack-proof hardware design and other advanced security features:
- Standards-based AES-128 encryption for authentication/secure messaging, or an alternative LRP-wrapped AES protocol for even higher attack resistance.
- Secure Unique NFC (SUN) message authentication for advanced tag and data protection, usable with Android and iOS mobile devices.
- On-chip secure data storage, accessible with 3-pass mutual authentication and encrypted data transfer.
- Privacy-protected user data via Random ID and encrypted UID/data to enable compliance with latest data privacy regulations.
- Attack-resistant hardware design to avoid data breaches and cloning.
NTAG424 DNA delivers cutting-edge security and privacy features, making it possible to confidently authenticate products and goods. These NFC chips provide cost-effective product protection and channel authentication for the fashion, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, electrical appliances, and many other consumer and industrial goods markets – throughout the supply chain.
NTAG424DNA TT (TagTamper)
This tag is a variation of the NTAG424DNA that offers tamper protection to securely detect if the tag seal remains intact for product integrity. It also provides additional protection by furnishing status-aware, customized messages as soon as the tag’s seal on a label or a container has been broken or removed.
Using NTAG424DNA with TrackMatriX® Platform:
The Best NFC Solution for Brand Protection
The NTAG424DNA tags are undoubtedly the best tags for brand protection and can even become more powerful once linked to the TrackMatriX® platform. These tags can be connected to the TrackMatriX® platform to transform physical products into smart connected products providing digital experiences.
The data behind the NFC tags will need to be updated or changed regularly. This might be because the tag is connected to an asset or campaign and the asset details will need updating. NFC tags need to be linked to software which can then modify the end data. This is called NFC tag management software.
TrackMatriX® is a cloud-based, scalable NFC tag management software. Using NFC tags and mobile phones, the platform enables item-by-item product authentication, inventory management, brand protection, traceability, and consumer engagement.
With TrackMatriX®, NFC tags can be embedded with secure information such as unchangeable unique identification numbers (UIDs), scan counter, customizable information and workflows such as landing page URL, dynamic cryptographic algorithms, and security protocols.
The platform can generate a whopping 500 million unique IDs (UIDs) within half an hour to secure products item-by-item throughout the supply chain. TrackMatriX® has been used by small enterprises, marketing agencies, brand protection solution providers, variable data printers, medium and large scale enterprises and government agencies.
TrackMatriX® makes it possible for cutting-edge NFC tags to be deployed across industries customizing them as per client requirements.
In a world grappling with the problem of counterfeiting and disrupted supply chains, utilizing NFC solutions can help brands protect themselves against counterfeiters with TrackMatriX® as their digital tool.
Contact Us
© 2026 TrackMatriX Technologies Limited. All rights reserved.
