A method for authenticating a production of products, comprising: electronically storing configuration data for a production run, wherein the configuration data for the production run specifies parameters used in the production of products; receiving a request for authorization at an upstream receiving authorization module; wherein, when the upstream receiving authorization module is able to decipher part of an authorization request but is unable to fully decipher the remainder of the authorization request to return an authorization, the upstream receiving authorization module passes some or all of the remaining authorization request and configuration data to a downstream authorization module; at a downstream authorization module, determining if the configuration data for the production run is authorized by attempting to decipher the remaining authorization request; at the downstream authorization module, if the production run is authorized: generating a set of security tokens identifying which module provided the authorization and associating one or more of the security tokens with the configuration data; digitally signing the configuration data by generating a digital signature and associating the digital signature with the configuration data; transmitting the digitally signed configuration data and the digital signatures and the one or more security tokens to the upstream receiving authorization module where the request for authorization was received from; receiving the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens at a production machine; at the production machine, verifying the digitally signed configuration data; calculating a set of secure product identifiers based on the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens; producing products in a production run according to the digitally signed configuration data; and applying the set of secure product identifiers on the products according to the digitally signed configuration data. electronically storing configuration data for a production run, wherein the configuration data for the production run specifies parameters used in the production of products; receiving a request for authorization at an upstream receiving authorization module; wherein, when the upstream receiving authorization module is able to decipher part of an authorization request but is unable to fully decipher the remainder of the authorization request to return an authorization, the upstream receiving authorization module passes some or all of the remaining authorization request and configuration data to a downstream authorization module; at a downstream authorization module, determining if the configuration data for the production run is authorized by attempting to decipher the remaining authorization request; at the downstream authorization module, if the production run is authorized: generating a set of security tokens identifying which module provided the authorization and associating one or more of the security tokens with the configuration data; digitally signing the configuration data by generating a digital signature and associating the digital signature with the configuration data; transmitting the digitally signed configuration data and the digital signatures and the one or more security tokens to the upstream receiving authorization module where the request for authorization was received from; generating a set of security tokens identifying which module provided the authorization and associating one or more of the security tokens with the configuration data; digitally signing the configuration data by generating a digital signature and associating the digital signature with the configuration data; transmitting the digitally signed configuration data and the digital signatures and the one or more security tokens to the upstream receiving authorization module where the request for authorization was received from; receiving the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens at a production machine; at the production machine, verifying the digitally signed configuration data; calculating a set of secure product identifiers based on the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens; producing products in a production run according to the digitally signed configuration data; and applying the set of secure product identifiers on the products according to the digitally signed configuration data.