What best defines device fingerprinting?

• A. A method to physically fingerprint a device's hardware.
• B. Technology that collects information about a specific device for the purpose of identifying the device and its user.
• C. A process to track only by cookies.
• D. A system to disable device tracking.

Answer: (B)

Device fingerprinting is the practice of collecting a set of digital signals from a device—such as browser and OS details, time zone, screen resolution, installed fonts and plugins, and network settings—to build a unique profile that can identify that device, and often the user, across sites and over time. This captures the idea that the technique gathers information about a specific device to recognize both the device and its user. It’s broader than cookies because it relies on a combination of attributes rather than stored cookie data, and it can work even when cookies are cleared or blocked. It’s a tracking mechanism, not a method to physically fingerprint hardware or a tool to disable tracking.