Articles
Using distance calculation with the spherical law of cosines to detect fraud in ecommerce
This article explains how to use the Spherical Law of Cosines to calculate great-circle distances from latitude and longitude, and apply that decision logic in a decision engine for customer verification, geo-fencing, and ecommerce fraud detection. It compares the formula with Haversine, shows the exact equation and implementation steps, and explains the accuracy trade-offs at different distance ranges.
Tools Used in Online Fraud Prevention
Online fraud prevention uses gateway checks, data enrichment, ML models, chargeback controls, transaction monitoring, and case management to reduce e-commerce fraud. This article outlines these methods and shows how to encode them into auditable decision logic for repeatable fraud screening.
ETags: a quiet web tracking mechanism
ETags are a standard part of HTTP, built mainly for web cache optimization. They do more than improve performance. They can also be used as a hidden tracking mechanism. This article explains how ETags work, how they are used in web caching, how they can be misused to track users, and what steps can reduce those privacy risks.
Subdomain Verification for Email Authentication
Email validation often misses the difference between corporate addresses and junk. That creates false positives and false negatives. This article shows how to detect corporate domains by checking for subdomains with the SecurityTrails Subdomains API. It also outlines rules to implement that check in a rule engine.
WebGL Fingerprinting: Tracking Online Users Through Graphics Rendering
WebGL fingerprinting uses the browser WebGL API to render graphics and expose device-specific rendering traits. This article explains how the technique works and how it fits into broader device fingerprinting. It also covers its limits and common spoofing methods.
Maximum loan amount: how to calculate it
When extending credit, set a maximum exposure per customer based on risk appetite. Debt-to-income (DTI) is a key input. Regulators often set DTI limits and define how to calculate them.