fingerprint

A fingerprint is a unique trait used to identify a specific entity.

in a cybersecurity context, malware and legitimate software and be “fingerprinted” in a number of ways.

fingerprinting is leveraged both offensively and defensively. An example of fingerprinting used in an offensive context is using a tool to grab a banners from services running on a remote victim’s host in order to determine which exploits or techniques to use against it. In a defensive context, malware is often fingerprinted or signatured by its hash value; if a file or executable is found running this hash, its almost certainly malicious.

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