Fingerprint checkers are the new weapon in the arsenal of online marketers to gain an edge on users. You’ve probably heard about them already. Much like human fingerprints, they are a unique set of characteristics that identify users over a network. These parameters can include anything, from software configuration to minute details about our current devices. It’s scary to think someone out there could have such detailed information on us, right?
However, device fingerprinting can also find implementation in the realm of online security. In order to be up to date with all things cybersecurity, it is paramount for us to understand how this technique works. Therefore, in this post, we’ll be taking a look at how individuals and businesses can use this strategy to boost their online security efforts.
What Is Device Fingerprinting?
As mentioned earlier, it is a technique that helps identify users across different websites based on their unique browser and device characteristics. Several parameters make up the list used to make up a device’s fingerprint. This list includes and is not limited to:
- Location
- Timezone
- IP
- Screen size and resolution
- Current web browser and OS
- Language
- Fonts
- Network details
- ISP-related information
- Current software installed
- Various hardware characteristics (CPU, RAM, GPU, cameras, mics, speakers, open and used ports, battery status, etc.)
The combination of all these attributes creates a unique “fingerprint” that sets you apart from other users online. Marketers and other third parties can use this unique identifier to track you online since it enables them to create a complete profile on you. Websites gather all this data for several purposes. Although some may see it as redundant or even useless, websites can use this data to strengthen their cybersecurity measures.
Device Fingerprinting: The Vanguard of Digital Security
To better comprehend device fingerprinting, let’s take a look at the online sales angle first. Many websites make use of this technique to acquire data on user behavior. They then use this data to serve you targeted ads and offers. For instance, an online shop could track the items you check and then, on the next visit, serve you with a discount to entice you to purchase something. Likewise, an online electronics outlet could also employ your known location and browsing behavior to suggest a particular brand of devices, a discount, or even change the price of certain articles on the fly.
If all this sounds very similar to social media algorithms, it’s because it is. It works the exact same way. From the sales perspective, device fingerprinting plays a significant role in serving your targeted offers.
Now, from the security side of things, they are paramount for fraud prevention. They achieve this by improving fraud detection, as fingerprinting allows to check on a user’s unusual website access. Should the system detect any odd pattern, it’ll prompt the user to verify themselves. This is easy to see if you try to log in to your email account when you try to access it from a foreign country. If you frequently log in to your services from, let’s say, London, but then the next day try to log in from New York, then that will inevitably trigger a system alert due to the change in patterns.
Device fingerprinting also strengthens the security perspective by stopping botnets. They do this by establishing the different connections made by every device upon visit and then ruling out those suspicious to have similar fingerprints. Finally, it can also be used to help protect users from online threats such as phishing and hacker attacks. Collecting information about a user’s online behavior makes it possible to detect patterns that indicate suspicious activity, which could prompt systems to take action to protect users when needed.
The Drawbacks of Device Fingerprinting
While it’s clear this technique can yield positive results in the cybersecurity realm, it’s not without its negatives. The main disadvantages of digital fingerprinting include:
- Privacy Concerns: Some individuals may worry about the amount of information collected through digital fingerprints and how this data is utilized. Such concerns can result in diminished trust in online privacy.
- Malicious Use: Ill-intended individuals could also tap into digital fingerprints to carry out attacks and steal personal information. This effectively makes them a double-edged weapon.
- Advertising Oversaturation: If platforms misuse device fingerprints for personalized advertisements, it may lead to situations with an excessive amount of ads that can annoy users.
The Takeaway
Device fingerprinting makes one thing very clear: users’ movements over the internet are well-known and monitored. Knowing this, it’s imperative that we ensure our online presence is as responsible as it can be. Websites use this technique to ensure not only the proper serving of ads but also, from a cybersecurity standpoint, to prevent fraud, thwart hacking attempts, deal with botnets, and just protect users and systems as necessary.
Don’t believe us? Why not take a look at this TCP/IP fingerprint checker to see how your details stack up? Maybe it’ll be the wake-up call you need to ramp up your cybersecurity measures.
By Gregory O'NeillGreg is a modern-day explorer with an insatiable love for travel. His passion for adventure has led him to far-flung corners of the world, where he immerses himself in diverse cultures and experiences. Greg's zest for life is epitomized by a continuous pursuit of new horizons and captivating journeys.
