Document Security

What is online document publication?

This service enables UCD students/graduates to access many of their key UCD documents from their SISWeb account. Students/graduates can give these documents to third parties (such as local grant authorities, Social Welfare offices, education verification companies, prospective employers, other universities, banks, etc) either in hard copy (by printing them from SISWeb) or as an e-mail attachment. 

Students are able to enable/disable their documents for verification at any time through their SISWeb account.

If the student has enabled verification, the recipient will be able to verify the authenticity of the document and its contents by going to www.ucd.ie/verify and entering the personal ID code and the unique, 16-digit alphanumeric Document ID code listed on the bottom of the document.

If the student has not enabled verification, the recipient will receive a message denying them access to the document.

How does a third party verify UCD's online documents? 

First, a student will need to send the third party the document. Alternatively, they can simply send the third party the Person ID and Document ID found at the bottom of the document. 

A third party can then verify the document by going to www.ucd.ie/verify and entering the Person ID and Document ID into the required fields.  They will also need to enter their own name for auditing purposes.  The third-party will then be prompted to complete a CAPTCHA to prevent illicit phishing of confidential information.  This will enable the third party to view the document as it appears on UCD's system.

How secure is it?

1. Documents can't be viewed online unless the student/graduate has enabled verification
2. No one will be able to access online records without the correct combination of Person ID and Document ID. The Document ID is a randomly generated, 16-digit, alphanumeric code that is only available on the document distributed by the student. The chances of someone correctly guessing this combination is considerably greater than one in 1,000 trillion!
3. Having entered the correct combination of codes, the recipient must complete a CAPTCHA test ((opens in a new window)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA) to prevent illegal phishing of student data.

Important information for document recipients (Data Protection)
UCD provides this online verification mechanism to enable third parties to authenticate UCD documents that students have chosen to publish. Please note that the student retains the right to disable verification of their documents at any time.

UCD recommends, under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2018, to keep these documents and their contents secure from unauthorised access, disclosure, destruction, or accidental loss. Access to this data is intended for verification purposes only and should not be used for any other function.

What is secure paper?

UCD secure paper is used for the publication of key UCD official documents issued to students & graduates, namely Academic Transcripts, Statements of Results & Academic Statements. This paper has a number of security features designed to deter attempts of forgery & fraudulent alteration of UCD exam results/award documents.

Why has UCD moved to secure documents?

This development is in line with international best practices & addresses the areas of potential threat – false production and document tampering. While we acknowledge that any such threat is extremely rare, UCD is determined to protect at all times the integrity of its examination results/awards documents.

When was secure paper introduced?

UCD Registry started producing Academic Transcripts, Academic Statements & Statements of Results on secure paper from Monday, 14 February 2011.

Are documents issued prior to Monday, 14 February 2011 still valid?

Yes, absolutely. Our traditional approach to producing these documents was, in common with many universities, to use headed notepaper, stamped with the University seal on each page & closed with the use of the Registrar's signature. All such documents produced by UCD before Monday, 14 February are still valid statements of the student's studies. There is no need for students or graduates to request new copies of such documents.

What are the security features?

Hologram: This customised hologram, which mirrors the UCD logo, is unique to UCD & is extremely difficult to re-produce.

Numismatic Printing: The UCD logo is incorporated into the background of the document in fine, numismatic print. This guilloche pattern of wavy lines deters fraudulent amendment of the text printed over it.

Toner Secure Treatment: This treatment increases the absorbency of the paper significantly increasing the difficulty of doctoring text printed onto the document without damaging the paper.

Watermark: All documents now include a watermark, further increasing their security.

Ultra-Violet Anti-Tamper Technology: Incorporated into each sheet is a background pattern that can only be viewed under UV light. This is virtually impossible to re-instate if fraudulently altered.

Unique Numbering: Each sheet of secure paper is individually numbered using a unique six-digit code.