FAQs
What is the entropyseal?
The entropyseal is a reusable tamper-evident container designed to securely store or ship sensitive physical goods. It creates a unique physical “fingerprint” using randomly distributed particles that can be captured and verified with a smartphone.
How does it work?
When the jar is closed, small particles inside form a static random visual pattern. This pattern is:
- Captured with a smartphone camera (or even a photocopier)
- Stored as a reference image
- Compared later to verify integrity
If the container has been opened, the particles mix and the pattern changes, making tampering clearly visible.
What is the security behind it?
The particle arrangement creates an astronomically high number of possible combinations, making it practically impossible to replicate or fake the exact same pattern.
In numbers, there are theoretically greater than 1.8*10^904 combinations (or about 3004 bits of entropy!). For comparison, the amount of atoms in the observable universe is estimated to be 10^80.
What makes it different from traditional seals?
Conventional holographic seals can be easily removed intact with solvents or replicated.
Unlike single-use seals, the entropyseal:
- Relies on true physical randomness, not serial numbers or sticker designs that can be easily replicated
- Verification can be done visually or digitally (even via a simple photocopy)
- The entropyseal is reusable
Can the pattern be copied or forged?
In practice, we doubt it. The system relies on physical randomness, which is extremely difficult to reproduce exactly, even with advanced methods.
How is security measured?
We measure security in cost of attack. While many existing solutions can be compromised with minimal effort and often the cost is only the product itself, the entropyseal increases the cost of attack to a level that exceeds realistic attacker capabilities in most scenarios. This makes unauthorized tampering economically unviable.
Are false positives a topic?
A false positive is where the pattern changes but the entropyseal was not actually opened. It is possible that some particles may become loose or the pattern shift during rough handling, such as shipping. If this occurs, the moved particles will happen around the outer edge of the lid, since this is where the mechanical pressure of the lid is weakest. Therefore it can be visually checked that the fingerprint is still valid if the majority of the pattern, in particular around the center, is still the same.
What about the App?
The Android or iOS App is free and there is no subscription model. With the App you can capture the fingerprint and compare it later conveniently via the blinking comparison. The images are stored locally on the phone and the app doesn’t connect to any servers.
Can I use the entropyseal without the app?
Yes, you can take your own photo (or photocopy) of the fingerprint and verify visually without the app. The app is just a convenient way to store your fingerprints and verify them easily with the blinking animation.
Is it suitable for shipping?
If closed tightly with full force, the entropyseal can handle average shipping conditions including vibrations and basic impacts from parcel drop-offs.
What’s the temperature range?
The entropyseal can handle temperatures from far below zero degrees celsius up to 65°C. At higher temperatures, the beads can start to fuse together.
Will there be more products in the future with the same tech?
We have successfully prototyped a padlock version to seal storage rooms and shipping containers.