The internet is constantly evolving and giving people more exposure, but many times, these exposures are turning out to be a boon for a few and a curse for many. Of every 10 people active on the internet, 1 is trying their way to commit fraud and indulge in corrupt activities, and they are utilizing the inventions of the internet to implement these tasks. Utilizing a stealth browser is one way to access any website, scrape its data, and use it for fraudulent activities.
This has forced the majority of website owners to detect stealth browser and block them, but it is not as easy as it seems because these browsers are designed to minimize browser tracking, modify information that a website uses to identify a device, and create multiple browser identities, all characteristics that make a great tool for potential scams. It has become crucial for website owners to identify a stealth browser, and there is not one way to do this, but by analysing plenty of behavioural patterns that we are discussing here:
Device Consistency
A genuine user using a legit device to access your website will show consistency in maintaining certain things like hardware characteristics, IP addresses, browser fingerprints, and others to show that a single user with a single device is active on the website. On the other side, a stealth browser will show inconsistency in every characteristic, right from the operating system to multiple browser identities used. When you come across any such browser with all red flag characteristics, block it right away.
User Behaviour
Understanding a user’s behaviour will help you a big time because it can give away the real identity. If a human user is interacting with the website, it will be irregular, with constant diversion, different typing speed and mouse movement, and other similar instances. However, when a stealth browser disguised as a genuine user is trying to access your website, it will show no such patterns and will show signs of repeated actions, unmatched speed, and no deviation. Based on these patterns, it will be easier to identify a stealth browser.
Browser Fingerprints
It is one of the best techniques to identify a stealth browser because every browser leaves a digital footprint like details of its operating system, screen resolution, language preference, time zone, and hardware information. All these details will be different for every user, but they together create a unique identity or a browser fingerprint that helps every website recognize them every time they log in. This is not possible in a stealth browser. They don’t use the same details every time and randomise some of them because their main aim is to conceal the identity, but the same thing exposes them.
The use of stealth browsers is increasing rapidly, and people are using them for more bad than good. However, your intention should be safeguarding your website from such visitors, and before you invest in any detection tool or software, it is important to understand their characteristics or ways to identify them.
