Fingerprinting or digital fingerprint is a technology for identifying users by gathering data about their device (such as a smartphone or computer), browser characteristics, and system information.
A digital fingerprint is an effective tool for data collection and user identification. It is anonymous and doesn't require any particular actions from the user. For example, it makes it possible to get the necessary data and recognize a user in the system without them having to enter a username or password.
The user's browser provides some data to the web server, for example, when the user types in the website address. To display the site correctly, it requires information about the screen resolution, operating system, location, language, and other settings.
Meanwhile, fingerprinting scripts like FingerprintJS can gather data about the user's browser, obtaining information about the browser and computer's characteristics.
When this data is processed, users are assigned a unique identifier (code), which becomes their fingerprint.
Fingerprint is an anonymous identifier that contains information about users' browser settings and capabilities. It is obtained based on various open data, for example:
In the Miloan.ua microloan service project, we incorporated an attribute that identified if another user had previously requested a loan from this device. If the attribute returned a positive result, we checked whether the users were connected or related. If so – say these were a husband and wife – the same scoring rules were applied to them. If the users were unrelated, they increased the user risk score.
In the credit service project Cashpoint.ua, we utilized a feature that determined if there was already an active loan application from the user's current device. If so, the submission of any further credit requests was restricted.
When developing a project, it's crucial to ensure the reliability of processing and storing customers' personal data.
Thus, by implementing fingerprinting technology on your project, you will not only enhance data protection but also gain a powerful tool for combating fraud.