About Security Seals

The primary purpose of a security seal is to provide proof of tampering. The secondary purpose of a security seal is to resist tampering. 

Some types of security seals are constructed of heavy duty bolts or 3/16” thick metal wire. These types of seals also have a third purpose; To be so physically strong that they can only be removed by the use of tools, such as bolt cutters, wire cutters or similar. 

Different industries have different applications for security seals, and therefore have different criteria for the seals being used in their respective supply chains.

No single security seal design will solve your cargo theft problems, and no security seal is 100% tamper resistant. If the cargo thief has enough time and resources, most seals can be tampered with somehow.

Security Seals that offer the best tamper protection value, are the seals that offer strong tamper indicating features. Therefore, when buyers of security seals are considering which seals to buy, their first priority should be to seek out seals that offer good tamper indicating features.

In general, security seals are most effective when used as part of a multi layered cargo security program. Education and training is key, and organizations should have clearly defined action plans put in place, so that when tampering is detected, all stakeholders in the supply chain know exactly what action to take.

Security seal manufacturers are responding to the increase in cargo theft by developing innovative security seal designs for truck trailers and ocean containers. Some of the most popular designs are so-called dual lock body seals that provide C-TPAT compliant sealing of the door latch, but also protect the inner locking bars of the truck trailer or ocean container by looping a cable seal around them.

These types of security seals offer a very high security value, at limited additional cost, compared to traditional types of security seals.

Examples of dual lock body security seals:

Flex Double Lock 50

 Combo Lock