A: A serialized document with online authentication is the best way to ensure the authenticity of a paper document. No other system offers the same security and convenience.
Before the advent of technology and the Internet, it was difficult to make paper documents secure. The most common security features used in original paper documents were the 'wet signatures' applied by hand, seals, stamps and embossing. There are a number of major shortcomings and security weaknesses associated with employing these traditional approaches. Individuals receiving documents with these features need to be trained in scrutinizing these marks and also have a set of reference signatures on file for comparison.
In the case of police clearance certificates, there are hundreds of police agencies and thousands of police personnel signing certificates, making physical scrutiny of security features futile. By applying a serial number to each document and allowing holders to see the original document as issued by police online, there is 100% certainty about the integrity of the information on the document. Using this approach, the chain of trust is never compromised because the subject of the check cannot change the electronic original. In reality, it is not the physical document which is important, but the authenticity of the information printed on it.
A: The information given to our clients is provided by an authorized Canadian Police Agency. BackCheck works with numerous police departments across Canada to obtain Name-based Criminal Record Checks from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). This is the only national source of criminal records in Canada.