Your online identity and sensitive details are always at risk of getting hacked. Whether it’s due to a data breach or a phishing scam. This can result in your private information being misused, you get logged out of your accounts, and scammers squandering your money. If you don’t want any of this to happen to you then you should invest in an identity theft protection service and in this read, we will suggest some of our top picks listed below that you can choose from today.
The software we have listed offers both device and identity theft protection. These are paid services as a free service doesn’t cut all the requirements for ID theft prevention. We have highlighted the pros and cons of each service but unlike other products, we cannot say for sure that one works better than others. With that said, let us take a look at the list we have curated for you.
1. Aura
Aura is a great option for complete all-around device and identity theft protection. It scans the dark web for any information leaks, monitors your social security number, and offers protection against financial fraud as well. Aura also has a great interface to keep tabs on your data and subscribers get $1 Million in insurance against identity theft.
For device protection, it bundles in a VPN, alternate email to protect you against spam mail, and antivirus protection. You can add up to 10 devices per individual with the option to add more depending on your subscription. The reason Aura tops every list is that it gives you complete protection at a reasonable price and no additional cost which is a bargain if you ask me.
Pros Cons Add up to 10 devices per individual Asks for a lot of sensitive information Monitors dark web and your social security number Offers credit reports annually Includes child safety tools in family plan Offers three credit bureau monitoring in every plan
Aura Pricing: Plans start at $12/month
2. Lifelock by Norton
You may have heard about Norton Anti-Virus security, but the company also offers an identity theft service called Lifelock. Its Advantage or Ultimate plans offer features to safeguard your privacy like fraud alerts, crimes committed under your name, checks for suspicious activity on your credit cards and bank accounts, and dark web monitoring to make sure your details haven’t been leaked.
One highlight feature that you get with Lifelock is that it takes over your phone’s SIM to check for sex offenders or someone matching that profile has moved next to you. No doubt that this is an expensive plan as you will have to opt for their Ultimate plan to get most of the identity protection features. Unlike other companies, it gives you insurance for up to $1 Million out of their own pockets which can go up to $3 Million depending on the plan you opt for.
Pros Cons Offers on-device and identity protection Individual plans cost too high 30 days free trial Up to $ 3 Million in insurance coverage
Pricing: Plans start at $35/month and $239.88 for 1 year
3. ID Shield
ID Shield looks beyond what happens when your identity and details have been stolen online. The service features dark web and social security number monitoring. While also featuring credit freeze and quarterly credit reporting from one or all three bureaus. But this is not the part that makes the ID shield stand out.
Like other services, ID Shield gives a whopping $2 Million in coverage depending on your plan. They will also assign a private investigator who will work with you to restore your identity and details in case they get stolen to their original state. You can contact their support team 24/7 or schedule an appointment with their consultants in case of any issue right from the mobile app.
The fact that it covers you beyond your data getting stolen is a much-needed relief because it can be hard to track down your details and restore them once they have gone to the wrong hands. Its plans are also pretty simple to go through.
Pros Cons Protects and Restores ID after being stolen Basic plan only covers credit report from one bureau Up to $ 2 Million in insurance covergae The premium plan is quite expensive Credit reports from one or all three bureaus 24/7 support and consultant facility
Pricing: Individual Plan Starts at $14.95/month
4. McAfee + Ultimate
I bet when you hear the name antivirus software, McAfee is the first thing that pops into your head. This popular malware protection tool also provides security against identity theft if you opt for their Ultimate plan just like Norton’s Lifelock. It covers the basics like credit freeze and report from all three bureaus including TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. The Advanced plan gives you $1 Million in identity theft coverage while Ultimate doubles the amount.
What sets McAfee apart is that it also gives you an additional $25,000 coverage against ransomware. Most other services skip out on this in their fingerprint but that’s not the case here. It even includes an unlimited VPN, a social privacy manager, and a neat File shredder feature to make your sensitive files unrecoverable after deletion. However, there is no monthly payment option meaning technically it is the costliest of all the services in this list.
Pros Cons $25,000 coverage against ransomware Plans are only available in yearly subscription Covers all three bureaus in the Ultimate plan Only one credit bureau available in Advanced plan Credit freeze and data restoration services included Malware protection for unlimited users
Pricing: $89.99/year for McAfee+ Advanced and $199.99/year for McAfee+ Ultimate
5. Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus
Bitdefender, another malware protection software now includes identity theft protection thanks to services from Identity Force. This increases its feature set to include monthly credit reports, credit freeze from TransUnion, and credit card freeze in case it gets compromised. It can also help keep tabs on up to 10 savings and investment accounts. It also offers coverage up to $ 2Million in identity theft insurance.
Along with it, you get all the services that Bitdefender already has to offer like a VPN, password manager, and malware protection. It even includes parental control features as well. It covers up to 10 devices per individual but there is no family plan option available here. You couldn’t also make monthly payments before but thankfully that has been rectified since. The plans come at a reasonable price but the McAfee+ Ultimate offers slightly better benefits.
Pros Cons Features on device security tools and features No family plan is available Two factor authentication included Identity theft coverage of up to $ 2 Million
Pricing: Ultimate Security plan starts at $9.99/month and the Ultimate Security+ plan starts at $12.99/month
6. Identity Guard
Identity Guard is for those who want a cheap but well-rounded identity theft solution for their money. It covers the dark web, credit, and even social media monitoring. You will receive an alert if your US Postal Service address is changed by someone else. Plus, it shows you credit reports and features instant credit freeze if you suspect something is wrong.
The software even comes with a password manager but other fancy features like VPN and malware protection are absent here. It is a product of Aura which we mentioned above, and seems to be a cheaper alternative to it. It is a basic option that you can go with if you just want to safeguard your data online.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Starting plan is quite cheap | No malware protection |
| Dark web and social media monitoring | Does not include VPN Services |
| Alerts when address is changed |
Pricing: Plans start at $7.50/month
7. IDX Complete
IDX Complete is different from all the other tools that we have mentioned in this list. Instead of trying to alert you when your data gets leaked or compromised, IDX tries to remove it. It contacts over 100 data brokers which sell your crucial data to advertising companies and sends a request to delete it from their end.
It also includes other features like a password manager, a VPN service, credit monitoring from all three bureaus, $1 Million Dollars in identity theft coverage, dark web monitoring, and Social Sentry which actively looks for fraudulent content on your social media. This is all great but it does cost a bit too much while not offering all that value.
Pros Cons Takes down your data from data brokers Individual plan is quite expensive Credit monitoring and VPN services Looks for fraudulent content on social media
Pricing: The plan starts at $ 32.90/month
8. Zander Insurance
Zander is another cheap alternative to some of the above services in the sense that it gives you the basics with its essential plan. You get dark web monitoring, social security number monitoring, and identity theft insurance of $ 1 Million which gets doubled for the family plan. Credit monitoring or credit freeze is not included here unless you upgrade to more expensive plans.
Its most expensive Elite plan also includes bank, credit, and loan account monitoring. But at that point, you might as well go with some other options that we have listed here. That is not to say that Zander is bad by any means, it’s just its value only lies in its essential plan.
Pros Cons Essential plan offers necessary identity protection Limited features in essential plans Starting plans are inexpensive Costs more for credit monitoring Monitors dark web and social security number
Pricing: The Essential plan starts at $6.75/month and Elite starts at $11.99/month
These are some of the best options out there when it comes to identity theft protection software. We recommend that you do thorough research on your own and choose the plan that fits your needs and offers the best value for the budget. You don’t want to go with the wrong plan just to regret it later. I hope you found this list helpful and in case you have any queries related to it then reach out to us in the comments.
Abubakar Mohammed
