In the world of art, forgery has always been a major concern and some artists are just that good that even the experts have difficulty certifying a piece as the original. You have probably seen several blockbuster movies over the years about just this very thing. Unfortunately, we aren’t living life on the Big Screen, so there’s no happy ending to our misery when we figure out that a piece that we spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on turned out to be a high-level forgery.
But forgery isn’t the only security risk we are faced with. There is theft, damage from improper handling and so many other things that could result in a significant, if not catastrophic, loss. So, how do you protect valuable artwork from any, and all, of the above? Here are some thoughts on that.
1. Explore the Benefits of NFTs
The very first thing you need to do is get a Certificate of Authenticity for the piece in question. This is where the work of art is inspected and appraised by a professional appraiser, dealer, or consultant to ensure it is not a forgery. However, the sad fact is that even Certificates of Authenticity can be forged, so maybe you are no better off than before you hired them. This is the point where technology comes to the rescue. Did you know that you can create an NFT for a physical work of art?
Non-fungible tokens are high level security for digital original artwork as they cannot be copied or forged. If you check out the NFT Marketplace at OKX.com, you will see that there is a function to create NFTs and attach them even to a piece of art that exists in the ‘real world.’ There are NFTs associated with digital art and those which can be created for paintings, sculptures and other forms of art of high value. There is no way to duplicate an NFT that exists in the blockchain because it is a ledger entry located on millions of computers around the globe, and in order to do that, a hacker would need to access half of those computers simultaneously.
2. Storage Options
Depending on the value of your art, you may not feel comfortable storing it at home. Many collectors lease vaults in banks and other high-security premises to ensure their art is protected around the clock and often by armed security guards. But that is only one type of storage to be concerned with if you’ve created an NFT to authenticate your art.
Even though the blockchain offers the highest level of security, if a hacker gains access to your private key, they can hack your NFT. This is why you should move all your NFTs offline and into cold storage. These are small devices like a USB stick upon which you can download your NFTs. If it’s hanging out in your pocket, a cybercriminal in Russia can’t access that digital file! You can upload the NFT if you want to sell it or trade it, but until you take it out of ‘cold storage’ there is no way to steal your file.
3. Use as Many Layers as Possible
Just as websites with a URL starting with https have that extra layer of security, so too should you add as many layers of security as possible. Don’t discuss your art on social media if at all possible and never let on where you are holding it. The less information someone with nefarious intent has to go on, the harder it will be for them to target your work of art.
With that being said, the highest level of security you can have would be those NFTs the world is raving about. Isn’t it time you learned what they are, how to create them and then attach them to those cherished works of art?