What is Browser Fingerprinting & How Does It Work?

In a study (Researchgate) conducted in 2020,  the research revealed that 85.5% of users expressed concern about browser fingerprinting, while 78.5% emphasized the importance of being protected from it. But what is browser fingerprinting, how is it different from device fingerprinting, and how does it help online fraud detection?

What is Browser Fingerprinting?

Browser fingerprinting, a subset of device fingerprinting, is a method used to accurately identify users on websites. Unlike cookies, which can be cleared or blocked, browser fingerprinting relies on collecting data about a user's browser and device settings to create a unique identifier for that individual. This identifier, or "fingerprint," remains consistent across browsing sessions and can be difficult to evade.

Browser fingerprinting involves gathering various data points, such as device models, software versions, geolocation, and other subtle differences in hardware and software configurations. By analyzing these data points, websites can create a unique fingerprint for each user, allowing them to track and identify users even if cookies are not present or have been cleared.

Browser fingerprinting provides website owners with a more reliable method of identifying users and combating fraud, as it is not easily circumvented like traditional cookies.

How Does Browser Fingerprinting Work?

Browser fingerprinting works by collecting different pieces of information from your browser and device settings when you visit a website. These details are combined to make a unique ID called a "fingerprint." This process uses JavaScript code on websites to gather data like your browser type, plugins, screen settings, and more. This data helps create a profile of you, but it's made anonymous using a hash. Even if you clear cookies or use incognito mode, this hash stays the same. However, different browsers or updates might give different hashes.

There are three types of hashes:

1. Browser hash uses browser data
2. Cookie hash changes with each session
3. Device hash relies on hardware information

Combining these hashes helps businesses understand user behavior better and detect fraud.

What Are The Different Fingerprinting Techniques?

Different fingerprinting techniques help businesses gather information about users for various purposes, including fraud prevention and analytics.

1. Canvas Fingerprinting: This method uses the HTML5 canvas element to detect variations in a user's graphics processing unit (GPU), graphics drivers, or graphics card. It works by drawing an image overlaid with text, and then capturing how the user's browser renders it. The slight differences in rendering create a unique "canvas fingerprint."

2. WebGL Fingerprinting: Similar to canvas fingerprinting, WebGL also renders images off-screen to identify users based on their graphics drivers and device hardware.

3. Media Device Fingerprinting: This technique reveals connected media devices and their IDs on a user's device, including internal components like video and audio cards, as well as external devices like headphones.

4. Audio Fingerprinting: Instead of rendering images, this method analyzes how a user's device produces sound, detecting differences in sound waves based on browser vendor, version, and CPU architecture.

5. Device Fingerprinting: The device fingerprinting technique, often used in mobile apps, gathers additional device information such as MAC address, serial number (Android only), time zone, battery health, and CPU details.

6. Tor Detection: By testing if a user's IP matches a known Tor exit node, this technique determines if the user is accessing the website through the Tor network, flagging them as high risk due to the higher likelihood of fraudulent activity.

What is Browser Fingerprinting Used For?

Browser fingerprinting serves various purposes, including security, marketing, and privacy concerns:

1. Security: Originally developed to track and block devices associated with suspicious activity, browser fingerprinting helps identify and mitigate fraudulent actions online. It can bypass evasion measures like private browser windows and VPNs, making it challenging for malicious users to conceal their activities.

2. Marketing: Browser fingerprinting enables targeted advertising by identifying and tracking user behavior. Advertisers can personalize campaigns based on users' interests and activities, leading to more effective marketing strategies. For example, a travel company can tailor ads based on a user's past bookings and interests, enhancing the relevance of advertisements.

3. Privacy Concerns: While personalized advertising is accepted by some users, there are concerns about potential privacy implications. Browser fingerprinting data could be used for purposes beyond advertising, such as pre-qualifying users for services or implementing dynamic pricing strategies. Although specific cases are challenging to identify due to the lack of transparency, there are concerns about potential privacy violations and discriminatory practices based on fingerprinting data.

Device Fingerprinting and Browser Fingerprinting

Device fingerprinting and browser fingerprints are two distinct methods used to track and identify users online, each with its own characteristics and applications.

It is worth noting that cross-browser fingerprinting involves creating a unique identifier by combining data from a user's web browser configurations across multiple browsers. cross-browser fingerprinting enables persistent tracking of users across different browsers and can be used for purposes like targeted advertising and fraud detection.

Tracking Techniques: Browser Fingerprinting vs. Cookies

Browser fingerprinting and cookies are both methods used for tracking user activity online, but they differ in several key aspects, mainly in their tracking mechanisms, persistence, privacy implications, and usage. Browser fingerprinting relies on collecting data from the user's browser and device settings, while cookies store information directly on the user's device.

1. Tracking Mechanism

• Browser Fingerprinting: This technique collects various data points from a user's browser and device settings to create a unique identifier, or "fingerprint," for that individual. It includes information such as device models, software versions, screen resolutions, and more. Browser fingerprinting can persist across browsing sessions and is more difficult to evade than cookies.
• Cookies: Cookies are small text files stored on a user's device by websites they visit. These files contain information such as login credentials, site preferences, and browsing history. Cookies can be session-based (deleted after the browsing session ends) or persistent (remain on the device until manually deleted or expired).

2. Persistence

• Browser Fingerprinting: Fingerprinting can persist across browsing sessions and device changes because it relies on inherent characteristics of the user's browser and device.
• Cookies: Cookies can persist across browsing sessions if they are persistent cookies. However, users can delete cookies or use browser settings to block them, limiting their persistence.

3. Privacy and Security

• Browser Fingerprinting: While browser fingerprinting can be more persistent and difficult to evade than cookies, it raises concerns about user privacy and security. Fingerprinting can track users across different websites and potentially identify them without their knowledge or consent.
• Cookies: Cookies are more transparent to users, as they can view and manage them through browser settings. However, cookies also raise privacy concerns, especially third-party tracking cookies used for targeted advertising.

4. Usage

• Browser Fingerprinting: Fingerprinting is often used for fraud prevention, targeted advertising, and analytics. It provides a more comprehensive profile of users but can also be used for invasive tracking.
• Cookies: Cookies are widely used for maintaining user sessions, personalizing website content, and tracking user behavior for advertising and analytics purposes.

How Fingerprinting Helps In Online Fraud Detection?

Fingerprinting provides reliable and persistent identifiers for devices and users, enabling more accurate monitoring, detection, and prevention of fraudulent activities.

1. Unique Identifiers

Fingerprinting provides unique identifiers for devices and users, allowing fraud detection systems to track and monitor individual activities more effectively.

2. Persistent Tracking

Unlike cookies or IP addresses, fingerprinting remains consistent across browsing sessions, making it harder for fraudsters to evade detection by clearing cookies or changing IP addresses.

3. Granular Analysis

Fingerprinting enables detailed analysis of user behavior by collecting data points such as device model, software versions, and installed plugins. This granular analysis helps detect subtle patterns or anomalies indicative of fraudulent activity.

4. Real-time Monitoring

Fraud detection systems leverage fingerprinting to monitor user activities in real-time, enabling immediate detection and response to suspicious behavior.

5. Fraud Pattern Recognition

By comparing fingerprints associated with known fraudulent activities, fraud detection systems, like FOCAL, can identify recurring patterns or characteristics indicative of fraud, helping to prevent similar incidents in the future.

6. Reduced False Positives

Fingerprinting allows for more accurate identification of legitimate users, reducing the risk of false positives and minimizing disruptions to user experience.

7. Enhanced Security

Fingerprinting strengthens online security by providing an additional layer of authentication and verification, helping to protect users from financial losses and security threats.

Conclusion

In conclusion, browser fingerprinting is a sophisticated technique used to identify and track users across online platforms by collecting various data points from their browser and device settings. This method, encompassing different techniques like canvas fingerprinting and WebGL fingerprinting, offers a nuanced understanding of user behavior.

While primarily employed for targeted advertising and analytics, it also serves as a powerful tool in online fraud detection, enhancing security measures by providing unique identifiers for devices and users. In comparison to cookies, fingerprinting offers persistent tracking capabilities, making it a valuable asset in safeguarding against fraudulent activities and protecting user privacy.

FAQs

Q1. What components contribute to a device's fingerprint?

A device fingerprint comprises various data points extracted from a user's browser and device settings. These may include device model, operating system, screen resolution, installed plugins, fonts, language preferences, and more.

Q2. Is browser fingerprinting considered illegal?

Browser fingerprinting itself is not illegal. However, its legality may vary depending on how the collected data is used and whether it complies with relevant privacy laws and regulations. It's essential to ensure transparency and obtain user consent when implementing browser fingerprinting techniques.

Q3. What exactly is an anti-fingerprinting browser?

An anti-fingerprinting browser is a web browser designed to minimize or prevent browser fingerprinting techniques from collecting data about the user's device and browsing habits. These anti-fingerprinting browsers often employ features such as built-in ad and tracker blockers, cookie management tools, and measures to obscure or randomize browser attributes to enhance user privacy and security.

Q4. What is online fingerprinting?

Online fingerprinting is the process of creating a unique digital identifier based on various aspects of a user's online behavior and device configuration. This online fingerprint, or digital fingerprint, is used to distinguish and track users across different websites and sessions for purposes such as targeted advertising and fraud detection.

Q5. What are examples of browser fingerprinting?

Examples of browser fingerprinting techniques include various methods used to gather information about a user's browser and device configuration. Examples of browser fingerprinting include analyzing the user-agent string, examining HTTP headers, canvas fingerprinting, font detection, plugin detection, cookie tracking, time zone and language detection, and screen resolution and color depth analysis.