Those of us who are so obsessed with America’s national pastime that we’d consider forging an employee ID badge to get into Fenway Park for a Red Sox playoff game will want to think twice this year. Major League Baseball is putting the kibosh and fake employee badges, press passes and player credentials by infusing each legitimate ID with a small grey strip that contains writing invisible to the naked eye. The writing can only be seen by special viewers which will be in place at security points in baseball stadiums this October.

Thousands of the newly enhanced badges are being printed in time for the playoffs and the World Series, greatly reducing the odds of unauthorized intruders gaining access to stadiums and restricted areas. How exactly does the technology work? A line pattern veils the writing, hiding it from plain site, so it’s viewable only with an authenticator containing a simple lens that replicates the pattern.
Many security ID badges are designed for the added security needed to manage large crowds.