The lack of material provenance in today's supply-chain, allows counterfeit materials to proliferate, most of which are undoubtedly going undetected. Chemicals, components, including critical ICs, as well as simple passive components, assemblies and finished goods are all fair game in the current environment. Not a good situation when we are dependent on electronics-based systems, embedded in so many critical areas and activities that affect our daily lives, including our safety, for example, autonomous transport, airplanes, defense systems, and even the ability to snoop data from your tablet. The definition of the mechanism whereby materials are transferred from one responsibility to another is urgently needed, as a defined standard, applicable anywhere and everywhere provenance may be compromised. The standard must define rules and procedures around tamper-evident packaging, unique identification, with associated data being stored securely, for example, using blockchain. The members of the IPC-1782 Traceability Committee are working to define such a standard for the Secure Supply-Chain, as an extension to the existing exact assembly traceability definition. This paper details the current progress that has been made, including the explanation of the proposed flow of secure logistics, benefits to each party involved, and sustainability of the solution.
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