The totality of information collected about a device, component, or computer program, which distinguishes it from others to a high degree of accuracy. A fingerprint is a sequence of data relating to configuration, equipment used, network settings, etc., and remotely identifies an object when connecting or logging into a system.
The data collection process is known as fingerprinting, and can be carried out either in secret or with the user’s consent. Many modern browsers have privacy settings that prevent fingerprinting.