training/articles/user-data-ids.jd

page.title=Best Practices for Unique Identifiers
page.metaDescription=How to manage unique identifiers the right way for users.
page.tags=ids, user data
meta.tags="ids", "user data"
page.image=images/cards/card-user-ids_2x.png

page.article=true
@jd:body

<div id="tb-wrapper">
<div id="tb">
    <h2>In this document</h2>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="#tenets_of_working_with_android_identifiers">Tenets of Working with
      Android Identifiers</a></li>
      <li><a href="#version_specific_details_identifiers_in_m">Identifiers in Android 6.0+</a></li>
      <li><a href="#working_with_advertising_ids">Working with Advertising IDs</a></li>
      <li><a href="#working_with_instance_ids_&_guids">Working with Instance IDs and GUIDs</a></li>
      <li><a href="#understand_identifier_characteristics">Understanding Identifier
      Characteristics</a>
      <ol>
        <li><a href="#scope">Scope</a></li>
        <li><a href="#resettability_&_persistence">Resettability &amp; persistence</a></li>
        <li><a href="#uniqueness">Uniqueness</h3>
        <li><a href="#integrity_protection_and_non-repudiability">Integrity protection and
        non-repudiability</a></li>
      </ol>
      </li>
      <li><a href="#use_appropriate_identifiers">Common Use Cases and the Identifier to Use</a>
      <ol>
        <li><a href="#a_track_signed-out_user_preferences">Tracking signed-out user
        preferences</a></li>
        <li><a href="#b_track_signed-out_user_behavior">Tracking signed-out user behavior</a></li>
        <li><a href="#c_generate_signed-out_anonymous_user_analytics">Generating
        signed-out/anonymous user analytics</a></li>
        <li><a href="#d_track_signed-out_user_conversion">Tracking signed-out user
        conversion</a></li>
        <li><a href="#e_handle_multiple_installations">Handling multiple installations</a></li>
        <li><a href="#f_anti-fraud_enforcing_free_content_limits_detecting_sybil_attacks">Anti-fraud:
        Enforcing free content limits / detecting Sybil attacks</a></li>
        <li><a href="#g_manage_telephony_&_carrier_functionality">Managing telephony and carrier
        functionality</a></li>
        <li><a href="#h_abuse_detection_identifying_bots_and_ddos_attacks">Abuse detection:
        Identifying bots and DDoS attacks</a></li>
        <li><a href="#i_abuse_detection_detecting_high_value_stolen_credentials">Abuse detection:
        Detecting high value stolen credentials</a></li>
      </ol>
      </li>
    </ol>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  While there are valid reasons why your application may need to identify a
  device rather than an instance of the application or an authenticated user on
  the device, for the vast majority of applications, the ultimate goal is to
  identify a particular <em>installation</em> of your app (not the actual
  physical device).
</p>

<p>
  Fortunately, identifying an installation on Android is straightforward using
  an Instance ID or by creating your own GUID at install time. This document
  provides guidance for selecting appropriate identifiers for your application,
  based on your use-case.
</p>

<p>
  For a general look at Android permissions, please see <a href=
  "{@docRoot}training/articles/user-data-overview.html">Permissions
  and User Data</a>. For specific best practices for
  working with Android permissions, please see <a href=
  "{@docRoot}training/articles/user-data-permissions.html">Best Practices for
  App Permissions</a>.
</p>


<h2 id="tenets_of_working_with_android_identifiers">Tenets of Working with Android Identifiers</h2>

<p>
  We recommend that you follow these tenets when working with Android
  identifiers:
</p>

<p>
  <em><strong>#1: Avoid using hardware identifiers.</strong></em> Hardware
  identifiers such as SSAID (Android ID) and IMEI can be avoided in most
  use-cases without limiting required functionality.
</p>

<p>
  <em><strong>#2: Only use Advertising ID for user profiling or ads
  use-cases.</strong></em> When using an <a href=
  "https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6048248?hl=en">
  Advertising ID</a>, always respect the <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html#ADID">Limit Ad
  Tracking</a> flag, ensure the identifier cannot be connected to personally
  identifiable information (PII) and avoid bridging Advertising ID resets.
</p>

<p>
  <em><strong>#3: Use an Instance ID or a privately stored GUID whenever
  possible for all other use-cases except payment fraud prevention and
  telephony.</strong></em> For the vast majority of non-ads use-cases, an
  instance ID or GUID should be sufficient.
</p>

<p>
  <em><strong>#4: Use APIs that are appropriate to your use-case to minimize
  privacy risk.</strong></em> Use the
  <a href="http://source.android.com/devices/drm.html">DRM
  API</a> API for high value content
  protection and the <a href="{@docRoot}training/safetynet/index.html">SafetyNet
  API</a> for abuse prevention. The Safetynet API is
  the easiest way to determine whether a device is genuine without incurring
  privacy risk.
</p>

<p>
  The remaining sections of this guide elaborate on these rules in the context
  of developing Android applications.
</p>

<h2 id="version_specific_details_identifiers_in_m">Identifiers in Android 6.0+</h2>

<p>
  MAC addresses are globally unique, not user-resettable and survive factory
  reset. It is generally not recommended to use MAC address for any form of
  user identification. As a result, as of Android M, local device MAC addresses
  (for example, Wifi and Bluetooth) <em><strong>are not available via third party
  APIs</strong></em>. The {@link android.net.wifi.WifiInfo#getMacAddress WifiInfo.getMacAddress()}
  method and the {@link android.bluetooth.BluetoothAdapter#getAddress
  BluetoothAdapter.getDefaultAdapter().getAddress()} method will
  both return <code>02:00:00:00:00:00</code>..
</p>

<p>
  Additionally, you must hold the following permissions to access MAC addresses
  of nearby external devices available via Bluetooth and Wifi scans:
</p>

<table>
 <tr>
    <th><strong>Method/Property</strong></td>
    <th><strong>Permissions Required</strong></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
    <td>
      <code><a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/net/wifi/WifiManager.html#getScanResults()">WifiManager.getScanResults()</a></code>
    </td>
    <td>
      <code>ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION</code> or <code>ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION</code>
    </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
    <td>
      <code><a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/bluetooth/BluetoothDevice.html#ACTION_FOUND">BluetoothDevice.ACTION_FOUND</a></code>
    </td>
    <td>
      <code>ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION</code> or <code>ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION</code>
    </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
    <td>
      <code><a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/bluetooth/le/BluetoothLeScanner.html#startScan(android.bluetooth.le.ScanCallback)">BluetoothLeScanner.startScan(ScanCallback)</a></code>
    </td>
    <td>
      <code>ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION</code> or <code>ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION</code>
    </td>
 </tr>
</table>


<h2 id="working_with_advertising_ids">Working with Advertising IDs</h2>

<p>
  Advertising ID is a user-resettable identifier and is appropriate for Ads
  use-cases, but there are some key points to bear in mind when using it:
</p>

<p>
  <em><strong>Always respect the users intention in resetting the advertising
  ID</strong></em>. Do not bridge user resets by using a more persistent device
  identifier or fingerprint to link subsequent Advertising IDs together without
  the users consent. The <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
  Developer Content Policy</a> states:
</p>

<div style="padding:.5em 2em;">
<div style="border-left:4px solid #999;padding:0 1em;font-style:italic;">
<p>...if reset, a new advertising
  identifier must not be connected to a previous advertising identifier or data
  derived from a previous advertising identifier without the explicit consent
  of the user.</span></p>
</div>
</div>

<p>
  <em><strong>Always respect the associated Personalized Ads
  flag</strong></em>. Advertising IDs are configurable in that users can limit
  the amount of tracking associated with the ID. Always use the <code><a href=
  "https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/ads/identifier/AdvertisingIdClient.Info.html#isLimitAdTrackingEnabled()">
  AdvertisingIdClient.Info.isLimitAdTrackingEnabled()</a></code> method to
  ensure you are not circumventing your users' wishes. The <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
  Developer Content Policy</a> states:
</p>


<div style="padding:.5em 2em;">
<div style="border-left:4px solid #999;padding:0 1em;font-style:italic;">
<p>...you must abide by a users Opt out of interest-based advertising or 'Opt
  out of Ads Personalization' setting. If a user has enabled this setting, you
  may not use the advertising identifier for creating user profiles for
  advertising purposes or for targeting users with personalized advertising.
  Allowed activities include contextual advertising, frequency capping,
  conversion tracking, reporting and security and fraud detection.</span></p>
</div>
</div>

<p>
  <em><strong>Be aware of any privacy or security policies associated with SDKs
  you use that are related to Advertising ID use.</strong></em> For example, if
  you are using the Google Analytics SDK
  <code><a href=
  "https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/analytics/Tracker.html#enableAdvertisingIdCollection(boolean)">mTracker.enableAdvertisingIdCollection(true)</a></code>
  method, make sure to review and adhere to all applicable <a href=
  "https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/android/v4/policy">
  Analytics SDK policies</a>.
</p>

<p>
  Also, be aware that the <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
  Developer Content Policy</a> requires that the Advertising ID must not be
  connected to personally-identifiable information or associated with any
  persistent device identifier (for example: SSAID, MAC address, IMEI, etc.,)
  without the explicit consent of the user.
</p>

<p>
  As an example, suppose you want to collect information to populate database
  tables with the following columns:
</p>

<table>
 <tr>
    <td>
      <table>
       <tr>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>timestamp</code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>ad_id</code></td>
          <td>
      <code><strong>account_id</strong></code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>clickid</code></td>
       </tr>
      </table>

      <p>TABLE-01</p>
    </td>
    <td>
      <table>
       <tr>
          <td>
      <code><strong>account_id</strong></code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>name</code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>dob</code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>country</code></td>
       </tr>
      </table>
      <p>TABLE-02</p>
    </td>
 </tr>
</table>


<p>
  In this example, the <code>ad_id</code> column could be joined to PII via the
  <code>account_id</code> column in both tables, which would be a violation of
  the <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
  Developer Content Policy</a>, if you did not get explicit permission from
  your users.
</p>

<p>
  Keep in mind that links between Advertiser ID and PII aren't always this
  explicit. It's possible to have quasi-identifiers that appear in both PII
  and Ad ID keyed tables, which also cause problems. For example, assume we
  change TABLE-01 and TABLE-02 as follows:
</p>

<table>
 <tr>
    <td><table>
 <tr>
    <td>
      <code><strong>timestamp</strong></code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>ad_id</code></td>
          <td>
      <code>clickid</code></td>
          <td>
      <code><strong>dev_model</strong></code></td>
       </tr>
      </table>

      </pre>
      <p>TABLE-01</p>
    </td>
    <td>
      <table>
       <tr>
          <td>
      <code><strong>timestamp</strong></code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>demo</code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>account_id</code></td>
          <td>
      <code><strong>dev_model</strong></code></td>
          <td class="tab2">
      <code>name</code></td>
       </tr>
      </table>
      <p>TABLE-02</p>
    </td>
 </tr>
</table>


<p>
  In this case, with sufficiently rare click events, it's still possible to
  join between the Advertiser ID TABLE-01 and the PII contained in TABLE-2
  using the timestamp of the event and the device model.
</p>

<p>
  While it is often difficult to guarantee that no such quasi-identifiers exist
  in a dataset, the most obvious join risks can be prevented by generalizing
  unique data where possible. In the example, this would mean reducing the
  accuracy of the timestamp so that multiple devices with the same model appear
  for every timestamp.
</p>

<p>
  Other solutions include:
</p>

<ul>
<li><em><strong>Not designing tables that explicitly link PII with Advertising
IDs</strong></em>. In the first example above this would mean not including the
account_id column in TABLE-01.</li>

<li><em><strong>Segregating and monitoring access control lists for users or roles
that have access to both the Advertising ID keyed data and PII</strong></em>. If the
ability to access both sources simultaneously (for example, to perform
a join between two tables) is tightly controlled and audited, it reduces the
risk of association between the Advertising ID and PII. Generally speaking,
controlling access means:

<ol>
  <li> Keeping access control lists (ACLs) for Advertiser ID keyed data and PII disjoint to
  minimize the number of individuals or roles that are in both ACLs, and</li>
  <li> Implementing access logging and auditing to detect and manage any exceptions to
  this rule.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>

<p>
  For more information on working responsibly with Advertising IDs, please see
  the <a href=
  "https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6048248?hl=en">
  Advertising ID</a> help center article.
</p>

<h2 id="working_with_instance_ids_&_guids">Working with Instance IDs and GUIDs</h2>

<p>
  The most straightforward solution to identifying an application instance
  running on a device is to use an Instance ID, and this is the recommended
  solution in the majority of non-ads use-cases. Only the app instance for
  which it was provisioned can access this identifier, and it's (relatively)
  easily resettable because it only persists as long as the app is installed.
</p>

<p>
  As a result, Instance IDs provide better privacy properties compared to
  non-resettable, device-scoped hardware IDs. They also come with a key-pair
  for message signing (and similar actions) and are available on Android, iOS
  and Chrome. Please see the <a href=
  "https://developers.google.com/instance-id/">What is Instance ID?</a> help
  center document for more information.
</p>

<p>
  In cases where an Instance ID isn't practical, custom globally unique IDs
  (GUIDs) can also be used to uniquely identify an app instance. The simplest
  way to do so is by generating your own GUID using the following code.
</p>

<pre>String uniqueID = UUID.randomUUID().toString();</pre>

<p>
  Because the identifier is globally unique, it can be used to identify a
  specific app instance. To avoid concerns related to linking the identifier
  across applications, GUIDs should be stored in internal storage rather than
  external (shared) storage. Please see <a href=
  "{@docRoot}guide/topics/data/data-storage.html">Storage Options</a> guide for
  more information.
</p>


<h2 id="understand_identifier_characteristics">Understanding Identifier Characteristics</h2>

<p>
  The Android Operating system offers a number of IDs with different behavior
  characteristics and which ID you should use depends on how those following
  characteristics work with your use-case. But these characteristics also come
  with privacy implications so it's important to understand how these
  characteristics play together.
</p>

<h3 id="scope">Scope</h3>

<p>
  Identifier scope explains which systems can access the identifier. Android
  identifier scope generally comes in three flavors:
</p>

<ul>
  <li> <em>Single app</em>.  the ID is internal to the app and not accessible to other apps.
  <li> <em>Group of apps</em> - the ID is accessible to a pre-defined group of related apps.
  <li> <em>Device</em> - the ID is accessible to all apps installed on the device.
</ul>

<p>
  The wider the scope granted to an identifier, the greater the risk of it
  being used for tracking purposes. Conversely, if an identifier can only be
  accessed by a single app instance, it cant be used to track a device across
  transactions in different apps.
</p>
<h3 id="resettability_&_persistence">Resettability and persistence</h3>

<p>
  Resettability and persistence define the lifespan of the identifier and
  explain how it can be reset. Common reset triggers are: in-app resets, resets
  via System Settings, resets on launch, and resets on installation. Android
  Identifiers can have varying lifespans, but the lifespan is usually related
  to how the ID is reset:
</p>
<ul>
  <li> <em>Session-only</em> - a new ID is used every time the user restarts the app.
  <li> <em>Install-reset</em> - a new ID is used every time user uninstalls and reinstalls the app.
  <li> <em>FDR-reset</em> - a new ID is used every time the user factory-resets the device.
  <li> <em>FDR-persistent</em> - the ID survives factory reset.
</ul>

<p>
  Resettability gives users the ability to create a new ID that is
  disassociated from any existing profile information. This is important
  because the longer, and more reliably, an identifier persists (e.g. across
  factory resets etc.), the greater the risk that the user may be subjected to
  long-term tracking. If the identifier is reset upon app reinstall, this
  reduces the persistence and provides a means for the ID to be reset, even if
  there is no explicit user control to reset it from within the app or the
  System Settings.
</p>
<h3 id="uniqueness">Uniqueness</h3>

<p>
  Uniqueness establishes the likelihood that identical identifiers exist within
  the associated scope. At the highest level, a globally unique identifier will
  never have a collision - even on other devices/apps. Otherwise, the level of
  uniqueness depends on the size of the identifier and the source of randomness
  used to create it. For example, the chance of a collision is much higher for
  random identifiers seeded with the calendar date of installation (e.g.,
  2015-01-05) than for identifiers seeded with the Unix timestamp of
  installation (e.g., 1445530977).
</p>

<p>
  In general, user account identifiers can be considered unique (i.e., each
  device/account combo has a unique ID). On the other hand, the less unique
  an identifier is within a population (e.g. of devices), the greater the
  privacy protection because it's less useful for tracking an individual user.
</p>

<h3 id="integrity_protection_and_non-repudiability">Integrity protection and
non-repudiability</h3>

<p>
  An identifier that is difficult to spoof or replay can be used to prove that
  the associated device or account has certain properties (e.g. its not a
  virtual device used by a spammer). Difficult to spoof identifiers also
  provide <em>non-repudiability</em>. If the device signs a message with a
  secret key, it is difficult to claim someone elses device sent the message.
  Non-repudiability could be something a user wants (e.g. authenticating a
  payment) or it could be an undesirable property (e.g. sending a message they
  regret).
</p>


<h2 id="use_appropriate_identifiers">Common Use Cases and the Identifier to Use</h2>

<p>
  This section provides alternatives to using hardware IDs such as IMEI or
  SSAID for the majority of use-cases. Relying on hardware IDs is discouraged
  because the user cannot reset them and generally has limited control over
  their collection.
</p>

<h3 id="a_track_signed-out_user_preferences">Tracking signed-out user preferences</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you are saving per-device state on the server side.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Instance ID or a GUID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  Persisting information through reinstalls is not recommended because users
  may want to reset their preferences by reinstalling the app.
</p>

<h3 id="b_track_signed-out_user_behavior">Tracking signed-out user behavior</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you have created a profile of a user based on their
  behavior across different apps/sessions on the same device.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Advertising ID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  Use of the Advertising ID is mandatory for Advertising use-cases per the
  <a href="https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google
  Play Developer Content Policy</a> because the user can reset it.
</p>

<h3 id="c_generate_signed-out_anonymous_user_analytics">Generating signed-out/anonymous user analytics</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you are measuring usage statistics and analytics for
  signed-out or anonymous users.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Instance ID; if an Instance ID is
  insufficient, you can also use a GUID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  An Instance ID or a GUID is scoped to the app that creates it, which prevents
  it from being used to track users across apps. It is also easily reset by
  clearing app data or reinstalling the app. Creating Instance IDs and GUIDs is
  straightforward:
</p>

<ul>
  <li> Creating an Instance ID: <code>String iid = InstanceID.getInstance(context).getId()</code>
  <li> Creating a GUID: <code>String uniqueID = UUID.randomUUID().toString</code>
</ul>

<p>
  Be aware that if you have told the user that the data you are collecting is
  anonymous, you should <em><strong>ensure you are not connecting the
  identifier to PII</strong></em> or other identifiers that may be linked to
  PII.
</p>

<p>
  You can also use Google Analytics for Mobile Apps, which offers a solution
  for per-app analytics.
</p>

<h3 id="d_track_signed-out_user_conversion">Tracking signed-out user conversion</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you are tracking conversions to detect if your marketing
  strategy was successful.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Advertising ID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  This is an ads-related use-case which may require an ID that is available
  across different apps so using an Advertising ID is the most appropriate
  solution.
</p>

<h3 id="e_handle_multiple_installations">Handling multiple installations</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you need to identify the correct instance of the app when
  it's installed on multiple devices for the same user.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Instance ID or GUID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  Instance ID is designed explicitly for this purpose; its scope is limited to
  the app so that it cannot be used to track users across different apps and it
  is reset upon app reinstall. In the rare cases where an Instance ID is
  insufficient, you can also use a GUID.
</p>

<h3 id="f_anti-fraud_enforcing_free_content_limits_detecting_sybil_attacks">Anti-fraud: Enforcing free content limits / detecting Sybil attacks</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you want to limit the number of free content (e.g.
  articles) a user can see on a device.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: Instance ID or GUID.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  Using a GUID or Instance ID forces the user to reinstall the app in order to
  overcome the content limits, which is a sufficient burden to deter most
  people. If this is not sufficient protection, Android provides a
  <a href="http://source.android.com/devices/drm.html">DRM API</a>
  which can be used to limit access to content.
</p>

<h3 id="g_manage_telephony_&_carrier_functionality">Managing telephony and carrier functionality</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, your app is interacting with the device's phone and texting
  functionality.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: IMEI, IMSI, and Line1 (requires <code>PHONE</code>
  permission group in Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher).
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  Leveraging hardware identifiers is acceptable if it is required for
  telephony/carrier related functionality; for example, switching between
  cellular carriers/SIM slots or delivering SMS messages over IP (for Line1) -
  SIM-based user accounts. But it's important to note that in Android 6.0+
  these identifiers can only be used via a runtime permission and that users
  may toggle off this permission so your app should handle these exceptions
  gracefully.
</p>

<h3 id="h_abuse_detection_identifying_bots_and_ddos_attacks">Abuse detection:
Identifying bots and DDoS attacks</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you are trying to detect multiple fake devices attacking
  your backend services.</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend:</strong> The Safetynet API.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  An identifier in isolation does little to indicate that a device is genuine.
  You can verify that a request comes from a genuine Android device (as opposed
  to an emulator or other code spoofing another device) using the Safetynet
  API's <code>SafetyNet.SafetyNetApi.attest(mGoogleApiClient, nonce)</code>
  method to verify the integrity of a device making a request. For more
  detailed information, please see <a href=
  "{@docRoot}training/safetynet/index.html">Safetynet's API documentation</a>.
</p>

<h3 id="i_abuse_detection_detecting_high_value_stolen_credentials">Abuse detection:
Detecting high value stolen credentials</h3>

<p>
  <em>In this case, you are trying to detect if a single device is being used
  multiple times with high-value, stolen credentials (e.g. to make fraudulent
  payments).</em>
</p>

<p>
  <strong>We Recommend</strong>: IMEI/IMSI (requires <code>PHONE</code>
  permission group in Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher.)
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Why this Recommendation?</strong>
</p>

<p>
  With stolen credentials, devices can be used to monetize multiple high value
  stolen credentials (such as tokenized credit cards). In these scenarios,
  software IDs can be reset to avoid detection, so hardware identifiers may be
  used.
</p>