The U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL), Army Research Office’s (ARO) initial concept of exploring DNA as a tagging and tracking method has led to the discovery of an optical scanning technology that can identify counterfeit electronic components before they are integrated into Army materiel. The technology also provides the capability to identify and track materiel in the absence of external tags or barcodes. This timely discovery will help address a significant challenge within the Army and DoD: the presence of counterfeit electronic components in military equipment.