In the same way that a fingerprint is unique to you, the configuration of apps on your device and the sequence of websites you visit online can act like a digital fingerprint. This is what advertisers use to recognize you as you browse, and it includes information such as your time zone, language, keyboard layout, installed fonts, and screen resolution.

However, it’s also a great way for fraudsters to spoof you. By using a stolen device fingerprint, cybercriminals can impersonate legitimate users to access their accounts and carry out fraudulent transactions.

Fingerprinting to Detect Fake Devices: Stopping Spoofers in Real Time

Fingerprinting to detect fake devices is that a device fingerprint can be used to detect these fake devices, and fraud detection systems can then match the fingerprint with known bad patterns or blacklisted devices and flag suspicious orders for manual review or extra verification. This is particularly effective against tactics such as click fraud and account takeover fraud.

To create a device fingerprint, security platforms examine the attributes of an individual’s device, including its screen resolution, touch support, operating system, installed codecs and languages, as well as its user agent string and a list of installed fonts. They then cross-reference the fingerprint with a database of low-risk or high-risk fraud signals, returning a risk score to businesses’ authentication engines, which can decide whether to present more friction and require additional verification, or to authorize the transaction.

While some users try to counter fingerprinting by disabling cookies, switching to a privacy-focused browser, or using a virtual private network (VPN), these methods don’t stop all forms of tracking and do not guarantee strong anonymity. It is therefore vital that business implement a device fingerprinting solution that is robust against the most common spoofing tactics.