What is a digital fingerprint, and how does it work?

What is a digital fingerprint on the Internet? Knowing how to define and explain it has become relevant if we want to be up to date in cybersecurity.

It is a concept that has a lot to do with our digital identity on the network and the trace that we leave with its use. As it is often personal information that allows us to identify specific users, it is essential to know what the digital fingerprint is, how it works, and its benefits and disadvantages.

Therefore, in this post, we will answer the main questions that the concept may raise.

Digital fingerprint: a definition

If we stick to the real world, the expression “leaving a fingerprint” refers to the idea of being remembered by the people around us, either by our actions or our personal qualities. This term can be seen as a way of bequeathing our identity to future generations.

In a more purely technological field, the digital fingerprint on the Internet is a set of information and data generated when a user browses the network and allows them to identify them uniquely. Thanks to different technologies this information can be collected in several ways:

• Through the use of cookies.
• Through the IP address of the device being used to navigate.
• Through the information that the user voluntarily provides when interacting with different websites.
• Through other data collected automatically while the user is surfing the Internet. 

This information can be used to track the user’s online activity and deliver personalized content or advertisements.

Fingerprinting definition: does it mean the same?

Although the terms digital fingerprint and fingerprinting can sometimes be confused, they are slightly different concepts since, as we will see below, the latter is a technique.

Fingerprinting is a technique some websites and applications use to uniquely identify an internet device through a set of unique device characteristics. This is achieved through different technology types, such as collecting browser information, screen resolution, operating system type, and other similar features. 

Although fingerprinting is often used for legitimate purposes, such as content personalization or a security enhancement, it can also be used maliciously to collect personal data without the user’s consent.

Difference between digital fingerprint and digital identity

Digital fingerprint and digital identity are two related concepts that have essential differences. 

As we have already defined, the digital fingerprint is a set of information that is generated when a user browses the Internet. In contrast, digital identity, on the other hand, refers to the information that a user voluntarily provides online that allows them to be consciously identified. This information can include personal data such as name, e-mail address and other contact details. 

The difference between digital fingerprint and digital identity lies in the voluntariness of providing this information.

That is, the digital fingerprint is information that is generated automatically as a user navigates through a digital ecosystem. In contrast, digital identity is information that users voluntarily provide to identify themselves on the same network.

How does the digital fingerprint work?

Online companies typically use digital fingerprints to track users’ online activity and deliver personalized content and advertisements. 

This is achieved by digital fingerprinting software that collects information about the user’s preferences and online behavior and then uses that information to personalize the user’s experience on different websites. 

For example, if an user visits an e-commerce website and adds a product to their shopping cart but do not purchase it, that website, by a digital fingerprinting software, may show ads for the product on future visits or even on other websites with space reserved for advertising in an attempt to encourage the user to make a purchase.

Benefits and disadvantages of digital fingerprinting

The importance of the digital fingerprint on the Internet can be clearly reflected in a series of very positive factors, but at the same time may have some shadows. In any case, we will evaluate its importance based on its benefits and disadvantages. 

Some of the main benefits of the digital fingerprint are:

1. It enables the delivery of personalized content and ads: information collected through digital fingerprinting can be used better to understand a user’s online preferences and behavior and then use that information to personalize their experience on different websites. This can improve the quality of advertising and deliver more relevant content to the user.

2. Helps improve online security: The digital fingerprint can also be used to help protect users from online threats, such as phishing and other types of hacker attacks. Collecting information about a user’s online behavior makes it possible to detect patterns that indicate suspicious activity and take action to protect that user.

3. Provides valuable information for businesses: The information collected through digital fingerprinting can also be valuable to businesses, as it can help them better understand their customers and make informed decisions about marketing and other aspects of their business.

The main disadvantages of digital fingerprinting include:

1. It can cause privacy concerns: Some people may be concerned about how much information is collected through the digital fingerprint and how it is used. This can lead to a lack of trust in online privacy.

2. It can be used for malicious purposes: The information collected through the digital fingerprint can also be used by malicious people, such as hackers and other cybercriminals, to carry out attacks and steal personal information.

3. Can lead to advertising oversaturation: If the use of the digital fingerprint is abused to deliver personalized advertisements, it can result in advertising oversaturation that can be annoying to users.

Proctoring and cybersecurity: a safe bet

If there is one thing that the digital fingerprint on the Internet makes clear, it is that users’ movements on the Internet are increasingly registered and defined. Therefore, our presence in digital ecosystems must be as responsible as possible.

Regarding cybersecurity in sectors such as education or business, it is essential to have data protection security systems and that all selection or training processes are complete and secure.

For this reason, we take great care to ensure and demonstrate that users who use a proctoring system such as SMOWL do so in a secure environment and that the educational or business entity has the most significant responsibility.

Ask us for a free demo, and you can see firsthand the benefits of a technology that combines technologies such as facial recognition, artificial intelligence, and the most advanced monitoring to ensure that the digital identity and the real one correspond when they should.