Picture: Raviv lab
3D printing enables the rapid production of tools, spare parts, and customized components. At the same time, the technology increasingly raises security concerns, such as the manufacture of unregistered firearms. A research team led by Netanel Raviv, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has now introduced a method for embedding digital fingerprints into 3D-printed parts. These remain readable even if the object is deliberately damaged or broken.
The method, called Secure Information Embedding and Extraction (SIDE), is designed to permanently integrate data such as timestamps, printer IDs, or location information into an object. The decisive factor is resistance to tampering. While previous approaches often failed because identification features were lost when a part was destroyed, the SIDE framework combines mathematical methods with built-in security mechanisms that allow the reconstruction of embedded data from fragments.
Raviv’s group had already presented preliminary theoretical results in 2024 at the IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory. The newly presented approach extends this work with a practical implementation.
“This work opens up new venues for protecting the public from the harmful aspects of 3D printing via a combination of mathematical contributions and new security mechanisms,” Raviv said. “While SIDE has limitations in defending against resourceful attackers with strong expertise in 3D printing, it significantly raises the level of sophistication, prior knowledge and expertise required from the adversary to remain undetected after committing the crime.”
The researchers plan to present their results in August 2025 at the USENIX Security Symposium in Seattle. The project was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Office. From a forensic perspective, the technology could become an important tool for retroactively identifying 3D-printed objects—including security-relevant applications—beyond doubt. As a result, additive manufacturing is increasingly moving into the spotlight of security research.
