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What's the Difference Between a Device ID and a Stable Device ID?

To provide the highest level of fraud protection, ClickSambo uses a sophisticated, two-level approach to identify visitors: the standard Device ID and the more persistent Stable Device ID.

1. The Device ID (The Browser Fingerprint)

The standard Device ID is a unique fingerprint created from dozens of browser-level signals like a visitor's operating system, browser version, screen resolution, and language settings.

Its Role: It’s highly effective for identifying unique user sessions and is our frontline tool for catching most fraudulent activity.

Its Limitation: This ID can change if a user clears their cookies, updates their browser, or opens a new incognito window.

2. The Stable Device ID (The Hardware Fingerprint)

The Stable Device ID is our most advanced and durable identifier.

It's built using deeper, more permanent signals from the device's hardware and network configuration to identify the physical machine itself.

Its Role: This ID is designed to remain consistent even if the user switches browsers, clears cookies, or tries other methods to mask their identity.

Its Power: It links together multiple standard Device IDs that originate from the same physical machine.

How They Work Together to Stop Fraud

Think of it this way: the standard Device ID identifies a person's temporary "outfit" (their browser session), while the Stable Device ID identifies the actual "person" (the physical device).

This system is crucial for unmasking sophisticated fraudsters. A fraudster might clear their cookies after every click to generate a new Device ID, trying to appear as many different people. However, our system will see that all of these different Device IDs are linked to the same Stable Device ID.

This immediately exposes the entire operation as a single fraudulent actor, allowing us to block the device at its core and prevent any further damage, no matter how many times they try to change their disguise.