Why "secure" NFC matters
A standard NFC tag simply stores a web address. Anyone with a phone app can read it and write the same address to a new tag — a perfect clone. That is fine for sharing information, but useless as proof.
Secure chips such as NTAG 424 DNA hold a secret key that never leaves the chip. On every tap they add a fresh, encrypted code to the link (NXP calls this Secure Unique NFC, or SUN). The server checks the code and the tap counter, so a copied link or cloned tag fails verification.
Form factors
- Stickers and inlays — thin, for frames, stretchers, boxes and labels.
- On-metal tags — include a ferrite layer so they work on metal frames, cases, trophies and watches.
- Tamper-evident tags — break if peeled off, so they cannot be moved to a fake.
- Textile tags — sewn or heat-applied into shirts, bags and linings.
- Embedded tags — moulded into resin, plinths or products at manufacture.
Placement and conservation
Never attach a tag to an original surface. Use reversible, acid-free adhesives on non-original material, and record the tag's position in the item's record so a conservator knows where it is. Metal, foil and liquids block NFC, so test the read from the outside before fixing a tag in place.
Encoding and testing
- Write the item's unique link (ideally a GS1 Digital Link-style URL) to the tag.
- Configure secure messaging if the chip supports it.
- Lock the tag against rewriting.
- Test with several iPhone and Android models.
SmartLinks supports QR, standard NFC and secure NFC on the same identity. Compare carriers in QR vs NFC, or follow a journey such as provenance for artists.