Finger print

1. When referring to computers and security, a finger print refers to any trace of information left by someone. Often, if someone has gained unauthorized access to a computer and/or network, an administrator or security agent may look for any type of finger prints left by the attacker, such as IP addresses, host names, etc. This can be compared to a crime scene detective looking for finger prints at a crime scene.
2. When referring to computers, finger print can also refer to a fingerprint scanner, a hardware device that verifies a user by scanning their finger.

• If you are looking for additional information about how to clean a computer component because of finger prints, please see our cleaning page.

Also see: Biometrics, Security definitions