Beauty and the Beast - Diverting Modern Web Browsers to Build Unique Browser Fingerprints

Explore the intricacies of browser fingerprinting in this 20-minute IEEE conference talk presented at the 2016 IEEE Symposium on Security & Privacy. Delve into the research conducted by Pierre Laperdrix from INSA - INRIA, which analyzed 118,934 fingerprints composed of 17 attributes gathered using the latest web technologies. Discover how innovations in HTML5, particularly the Canvas API, provide access to highly discriminating attributes for fingerprinting. Learn about the effectiveness of browser fingerprinting on both desktop and mobile devices, and understand the different factors contributing to fingerprinting on each platform. Examine the potential future of browser fingerprinting and how technological changes, such as the disappearance of plugins or standardization of HTTP headers, could impact user privacy. Gain insights into the dual nature of modern browser technologies, which enhance user experience while simultaneously creating opportunities for unique browser fingerprinting.