As cookie reliability wanes and spoofing techniques become more sophisticated, device fingerprinting API is gaining popularity as an anti-fraud technique. It is a way to identify the same user over time without tracking cookies and allows for more accurate cross-device analysis.
In order to fingerprint a device, the platform needs access to two sources of data: 1) the unique hardware identifier of the device and 2) its internet connection. Together, these data points are able to identify returning users with 99.5% accuracy, allowing fraud prevention platforms to provide an enhanced experience for their customers.
Protecting Online Privacy: A Deep Dive into Device Fingerprinting API
Fingerprinting uses a small piece of Javascript that can detect and record data about the visitor’s device, including OS, language, location (if provided via IP address), browser version, and more. This information is then used to create a unique recognition signal that is stable across sessions. This signal can be compared with other signals generated by fraud prevention tools to spot red flags, such as unusually low confidence scores.
There are a variety of device fingerprinting solutions on the market, from open-source to commercial. Open-source options are often free to use and can be a valuable entry point for developers looking to familiarize themselves with the technology. Commercial options are more advanced and can incorporate additional features, such as machine learning and network effects, to ensure that fraud detection systems remain resilient against new spoofing techniques.
At Signifyd, our device fingerprinting solution is seamlessly integrated into our MyCheckout-hosted payment pages. When creating an order in our MyCheckout, the device fingerprinting status is displayed in the Data Quality pane under Device Fingerprinting Status.