DAYTON, Ohio -- In March, the Document Security Alliance (DSA) issued a Report to the Nation that offered insights and recommendations for improving the security of vital documents that impact business and government as well as the public well-being. The eight-page report, which was presented to the President, every member of Congress and the nation's governors as well as directors of state motor vehicle agencies, examined the vulnerabilities of vital records, state-issued driver licenses, secure government documents that support identity, employee ID cards, paychecks, academic credentials and prescriptions.

"Fraudulent documentation is a critical issue. It threatens national security and exacts an economic toll on business and individuals," asserted Dan Thaxton, a document security expert for the Dayton-based Standard Register (NYSE:SR - News) and one of 16 industry leaders who contributed to the report. "We felt it was important to highlight the nature and scope of document security problems and offer government guidance in improving security."

Thaxton is a member of the DSA board of directors and is involved in developing national security standards for birth certificates. He led the team that recommended security improvements for the next generation of the Social Security card. He has also provided guidance to Congress on legislation for temporary work permits and employee verification.

Another Standard Register security expert, Jay Frerichs also contributed to the DSA report. He broadened its scope to include prescriptions.

"Prescription fraud costs the U.S. health system billions every year and fuels the appalling rise of prescription drug abuse threatening our communities and raising our healthcare premiums," Frerichs advised. "Yet, the means exist to reverse the rising tide of fraud and abuse, and to redirect the dollars to more productive use, "he said.

Frerichs has been an important voice in the fight against prescription fraud and abuse. In 2008 as part of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, he helped shape standards for tamper-resistant prescriptions. In addition, he has being working with state legislators and government agencies to improve prescription security, and he leads awareness initiatives to help healthcare organizations and practitioners better protect themselves from criminals.

Like Thaxton, Frerichs has more than rhetoric to offer. In the Report to the Nation, he recommends an end-to-end approach that employs secure processes and technologies to reduce prescription fraud, such as the model the state of New York implemented. He reports that this closely controlled program saved the state's Medicaid program an estimated $140 million in fraud losses in 2007.

"Our hope is that this report will be a wake-up call for government at all levels to examine their own vulnerabilities for prescriptions and all vital documents that support identity," Thaxton said. "There are a multitude of solutions available that can measurably improve document security and safeguard the interests of the country. We hope our efforts will prompt policymakers to take action," he concluded.

About the Document Security Alliance (DSA)

The Document Security Alliance is a not-for-profit organization created by government agencies, private industry and academia in the months after September 11, 2001. Since that time, DSA has worked to improve document security at all levels of government and enhance our nation's economic, personal and homeland security for the 2lst century. DSA's goal is to identify methods of improving security documents and related procedures to combat fraud, terrorism, illegal immigration, identity theft and other criminal acts. The DSA members – both in government and private industry – draw upon a wide range of knowledge and detailed technical disciplines to accomplish this goal. The group is committed to developing recommendations for appropriate federal and state government agencies, private industry and policymakers to improve processes and procedures surrounding document security. More information about DSA and a copy of the Report to the Nation are available at www.documentsecurityalliance.org.