Global Device Identifier
AssessTechniques
A persistent Windows device-level identifier used across certain Microsoft services and scenarios.
Why it's here
Placed in Assess: 1 article(s) of evidence from 1 source(s), led by security coverage, with 1 in the last 30 days. Confidence 24%. Low accumulated evidence, so it defaults conservatively pending more signal.
Evidence (1)
- 8Hacker News·7/15/2026securityMicrosoft Confirms Windows Global Device Identifier
Microsoft has acknowledged a persistent Windows device identifier called the Global Device Identifier (GDID), which is generated during setup with a Microsoft Account and can persist across updates. The identifier has drawn scrutiny because it cannot be disabled without affecting activation and Store apps, and investigators used it to help track an alleged Scattered Spider member across VPN sessions and multiple countries.