Questions by role: what different stakeholders need to know

DUST replaces the most time-consuming elements of incoming inspection — visual examination, document cross-referencing, and manual data entry — with a single scan that returns a pass/fail result in seconds alongside a complete chain-of-custody record. Inspectors no longer need to manually compare part markings against certificates, cross-reference serial numbers in ERP, or consult paper records to verify provenance. Authentication events are written automatically to the DICE platform and, via API, to connected ERP and MES systems. In high-volume receiving operations, this reduces per-part inspection time significantly and produces a digital audit trail that satisfies both internal quality requirements and regulatory documentation obligations — without adding a separate system or workflow to manage.

DUST surfaces three categories of data that most organizations currently lack. First, per-item custody history: not which lot went where, but which specific serialized item went where, authenticated at each transfer. Second, tamper events: the DUST coating detects any physical attempt to alter or remove it, creating a record of interference that most organizations currently have no way to detect until a failure occurs. Third, authentication confidence over time: because every scan records a match confidence score, organizations can monitor drift in authentication accuracy across their fleet — an early indicator of environmental degradation, coating damage, or systematic scanning issues — rather than discovering problems only at failure.

In a zero-trust security model, no entity — user, device, or network segment — is trusted by default, and every access decision requires explicit verification. Applied to supply chains, zero-trust means that no component or material is assumed genuine based on provenance documentation alone; every item must be independently verified at each point of transfer or use. DUST provides the physical verification primitive that zero-trust supply chain security requires: an unclonable identifier that can be independently verified by any authorized party with a scanner, without relying on any upstream claim, document, or database record. The DICE platform enforces access controls, maintains immutable audit logs, and integrates with enterprise identity and access management systems — providing the digital zero-trust architecture around the physical verification layer that DUST provides.

The DICE platform is built on a zero-trust cloud architecture with enterprise-grade controls across authentication, authorization, data encryption, and audit logging. Authentication data — enrolled fingerprints and scan records — is encrypted at rest and in transit. API access is governed by OAuth 2.0 with role-based access control and full audit logging of all API calls. The platform undergoes regular third-party penetration testing, and vulnerability disclosure is managed through a responsible disclosure program. For customers with the highest security requirements — classified environments, critical infrastructure, and high-value defense programs — the platform is available in air-gapped on-premise and GovCloud deployments that eliminate cloud attack surface entirely. Dust Identity can provide a detailed security architecture briefing and supply documentation suitable for customer security review processes on request.

AS9100 (quality management systems for aviation, space, and defense) and AS9102 (first article inspection requirements) both require documented evidence that products conform to their design requirements and that traceability to the original design record is maintained. DUST authentication records are structured to support these requirements: each enrolled object's digital twin can carry the full first article inspection record, material certifications, design revision reference, and dimensional inspection data. Authentication events at subsequent custody transfers create a continuous, tamper-evident record linking every instance of a part's physical inspection to its design pedigree. For customers pursuing or maintaining AS9100 certification, Dust Identity provides documentation templates and process descriptions suitable for inclusion in quality management system documentation.

The global counterfeit goods market is estimated at over $4 trillion annually across all product categories, with aerospace and defense, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and luxury goods representing the highest-value segments. The anti-counterfeiting and brand protection technology market — including authentication technologies, track-and-trace systems, and related services — is valued at over $3 billion annually and growing at approximately 10-12% per year as regulatory requirements intensify and supply chain complexity increases. Within this broader market, physics-based authentication — technologies that anchor digital identity to physical objects through unclonable properties — is an emerging category addressing the fundamental weakness of document-based and identifier-based approaches. The luxury and secondary market opportunity is particularly significant: the global luxury resale market exceeded $50 billion in 2023 and is growing at roughly twice the rate of primary luxury retail, with major platforms processing millions of authentication decisions annually and facing growing legal liability for authentication failures. Dust Identity is the only company offering a commercially deployed, independently validated physics-based authentication solution applicable across materials, industries, and price points, and is positioned at the intersection of the supply chain security, digital identity, and luxury resale markets.