Best Identity Theft Protection Tools: 8 Powerful Solutions
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Today I put the top identity theft protection solutions to the test, so you can keep your personal data secure. But why is this so important?
What is Identity Theft?
Picture a scenario where you open your banking app, and your account is wiped clean. You ring the fraud line only to learn that credit has been applied for against your name. The worst thing? Your bank drags their heels because their records show it was you who made these transactions!
This is the result of identity theft. It’s not just fraud or stealing but when someone, on paper, has your entire identity to exploit.
While extreme, this example is not unusual. According to AARP, identity theft like this cost $43 billion in America last year.
It’s one of the most life destroying crimes. Not only does it cause financial hardship, but the emotional fallout can be devastating.
That’s why it’s paramount to safeguard all your personal information, especially bank accounts, identity documents, and the devices that hold such data.
Fortunately, there are a wide range of tools and products that can help. That’s why I got hands-on with all the leading solutions and narrowed down 8 of the best.
The Top 8 Identity Theft Protection Products
Read on to find out their key features and how you can protect yourself going forward.
1. Surfshark Alert
When it comes to keeping an eye on your most important details, Surfshark Alert is my new go-to. It’s budget-friendly, easy to use, and can protect your entire family.
Alert is classified as a data breach detector which you can use effortlessly to monitor your email, credit card, and ID for breaches.
The recently updated tool (as of October 7th) now lets you check for free if your data is already on the regular or dark web. When you go premium, full monitoring allows you to:
- Add your details for monitoring in just a few clicks.
- Receive instant alerts if your email, credit card, or ID appears in a breached database.
- Receive instructions on what to do to address a breach.
- Monitor your, your family’s, and even business accounts without limits.
- Check the severity of any breach involving your details.
- View the precise details that were leaked, including passwords, IP addresses, and other linked information.
- Stay updated on your account security with monthly, quarterly, or yearly data breach reports.
- Use it on Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, and more.
Alert is part of the online security solution bundle Surfshark One, which costs as low as $2.69 per month when you commit to 24 months.
The bundle includes a VPN, antivirus software, a private search engine, and an email masking tool.
Surfshark also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can protect your entire household with a VPN. This encrypts your internet connection and masks your real IP address and location.
2. Identity Guard
Identity Guard is a service that helps you monitor your personal data from theft, including credit scores, bank accounts, and social security numbers.
It uses dark web databases, public records, and other sources to detect any unauthorized use of your info.
If suspicious activity is detected, such as a new loan application or a change in credit score, it sends you an alert, so you can take action.
It also provides support and assistance in restoring your identity, including contacting creditors and filing police reports.
What’s more, you get tools and resources to help prevent it happening to begin with. This includes a password manager, credit freeze assistance, an anti-phishing app, and a secure keyboard to prevent keylogging.
Identity Guard offers three service tiers – Value, Total, and Ultra – allowing customers to choose features based on their needs and budget for individual or family coverage.
While a comprehensive solution, it’s not the cheapest. Prices range from $7.50 to $25 per month for individuals and $12.50 to $33.33 for families.
3. Aura
Aura is another good option for those looking to improve their online security. It is a comprehensive digital security platform that aims to protect users from various online threats, including identity theft.
It scans the dark web for personal information and monitors activities such as using Social Security numbers and criminal records for signs of identity theft.
If you grant access, it can also monitor your bank and investment accounts, and credit reports for signs of fraud, new accounts, or credit inquiries.
Aura notifies you info is compromised in a data breach and is one of the few services to offer identity theft insurance, which can help cover the costs if your account providers won’t reimburse you.
Additionally, Aura’s plans include a VPN, email alias, password manager, and antivirus protection for up to 10 devices per adult.
The price of Aura’s plans ranges from $9.99 to $19.96 per month, depending on your requirements and budget.
4. Norton LifeLock
LifeLock from Norton is an addition to its popular antivirus software, safeguarding your devices, personal information, and identity from breaches.
LifeLock offers different tiers of protection, with features like credit monitoring, financial account monitoring, and even identity theft insurance.
You can also benefit from social media and phone takeover monitoring, and it sends alerts if your info is found on the dark web.
It claims to monitor hundreds of millions of data points. True or not, it’s easy to use and almost immediately found an old email account of mine I knew had been breached.
LifeLock’s prices vary depending on your chosen plan, with options for monthly or yearly subscriptions.
Pricing starts at $11.99/mo for a standard plan and reaches $34.99/mo for Ultimate Plus. The latter offers a total of $3 million in insurance to cover lawyers, reimbursements, and personal expenses.
You can also buy it bundled with the Norton 360 suite.
Norton Lifelock
Increase your security and protect your online presence with this powerful solution from Norton.5. IdentityForce
IdentityForce is a good option for those deciding between LifeLock and Aura. It offers dark web monitoring and bank and credit card activity alerts. It’s especially beneficial for families — with plans priced at no more than $34.90 per month.
IdentityForce also provides alerts for investment accounts, monitors social media activities, and offers a password manager.
I especially like its customized plan model to help you protect your identity based on your unique needs and risk factors.
After signing up, you get a score that assesses your risk of identity theft that offers tailored recommendations for improving your security.
Its entry-level UltraSecure plans for individuals focus solely on identity theft protection.
For wider security coverage, it offers UltraSecure+Credit premium plans, which include credit monitoring services such as three-bureau monitoring, quarterly reports, and insurance.
6. PrivacyGuard
PrivacyGuard has you covered for breaches of home addresses, phone numbers, email, bank accounts, and more.
It monitors credit files from all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and alerts you if any suspicious changes occur, such as new inquiries or accounts.
Alongside, they give you free access to monthly triple-bureau credit report agency VantageScore to give you a comprehensive view of your credit health yourself.
PrivacyGuard offers three tiers of protection, ranging from basic identity theft monitoring from $9.99/mo to more advanced credit monitoring and alerts up to $24.99/mo.
7. IdentityIQ
Several unique features make IdentityQ a good choice for Identity Theft Protection.
For example, if you lose your wallet, IdentityIQ can help you cancel and replace any important documents or cards on your behalf.
Furthermore, it uses a customizable model where you can add individual services based on your specific needs, rather than fixed plans and features.
IdentityIQ has all the standard features, such as SSN, bank account, credit report, and home address monitoring. It also scans the dark web to detect potential threats you can’t discover yourself.
Pricing starts from $9.99 a month and includes $1 million in insurance for reimbursing stolen funds through identity theft.
8. MyIDCare
Honorable mention goes to MyIDCare, which is a bit more difficult to sign up to. It is part of the Office of Personnel Management and before you can access its protection you must have already been affected by a cyber incident.
Nonetheless, if that happens to be you and you get a notification letter and PIN code from OPM, it’s well worth accessing.
The comprehensive monitoring service safeguards your social security number, bank accounts, and credit cards, with official backing from the US government. Moreover, it offers identity theft insurance for up to $1 million.
It covers a broad range of known breach locations and its Cyberscan feature monitors the regular and dark web in real-time for any fraudulent activity using your personal information.
If any suspicious activity is detected, MyIDCare provides concierge services to help you navigate the identity recovery process.
The cost of MyIDCare depends on the circumstances of your enrollment. For those impacted by certain cyber incidents, such as the 2015 OPM data breach, it is completely free.
For others, plans range between $7.95 and $19.95 per month.
How I Chose the Best Identity Theft Protection
The best identity protection solution for you depends on your requirements, but I narrowed my search based on the following fundamentals:
Ease of Use – If it’s difficult to get the service up and running, it’s not worth the effort. All my picks require just a bit of information, such as your personal details and simple methods of linking accounts. They provide easy to navigate dashboards and tools that function automatically. You don’t want to have to check things manually.
Fast Alerts – When a data breach occurs, it’s no good if you don’t know about it, and fast. All these services will send you some form of notification immediately, often with advice and steps to prevent full blown identity theft.
Large Monitoring Scope – Your data can be breached and shared in endless ways. I chose platforms that are tapped into large databases and have the ability to scan the web for data dumps and your leaked details specifically. This includes the dark web when criminals thrive leaking and selling personal details.
Extra Security Features – Monitoring and alerting is one thing, but prevention is the best course of action. Look for protection that offers security now, not cleanup afterwards. Antivirus software, VPNs. Anti-phishing tools, password managers, and keylogging detection are just some of the ways to prevent identity theft.
Insurance – If the worst happens and your bank or the authorities don’t offer much help, insurance can help cover stolen funds, lawyers, correcting your credit report, and other costs, so identity theft doesn’t ruin you financially.
Credit Report Access – Many credit reporting agencies charge for full access to your own credit report, so any identity theft protection that lumps access in for free is a bonus. Even if they monitor your report themselves, it’s always wise to check your score regularly.
Security – If a service is going to have access to your accounts and personal info to protect you, they need to have their own stringent security measures. All of the above solutions do identity checks, use encryption when data is shared, and are reviewed positively in the security industry. Remember to never sign up to the latest fly by night app that promises protection but has minimal downloads, reviews, or online footprint.
Pricing – Protection against identity theft is supposed to prevent financial loss, not cost you a lot of money. I picked services that are reasonably priced, with a variety of options for those with different budgets.
The Final Word on the Best Identity Theft Protection
There are many great identity theft protection services. I personally prefer Surfshark Alert. Not only is it one of the most affordable but it comes with a VPN, antivirus, and other preventive measures to keep you safe online and safe from breaches.
Whether you choose to use one of my picks or something else, ensuring your personal information is as private as possible is crucial.
That means having strong passwords and always using 2FA for your accounts. Remember not to post personal information on social media, and regularly check your credit report for abnormalities.
Do you use an identity protection service, and which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
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