Use a VPN for ID Theft Protection

  • 04/Jan/2022
  • 06:49 am

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You would be surprised at the amount of information about us that you could find on the internet. From social security numbers to bank account numbers to social media handles, someone with criminal intention could easily have access to all the data he or she needs to take on another individual’s identity.

With the right information on hand, a criminal could take out a loan in the victim’s name or even open a credit card. Identity theft is a serious issue as it could ruin a person’s reputation and cause financial damages that could take the victim years to recover from.

How do you protect yourself from Identity theft? Identity theft protection services is a good place to start. ID theft services can help you prevent identification theft or assist you in restoring your identity if ever you are a victim. There are a tons of them out there today, but in this article, we would be looking at the top 10 best ID theft protection services.

What to Look For in an ID Theft service

When choosing an ID theft provider, it is important to look out for some features that guarantee the best possible experience.

Privacy and Transparency: The idea of signing up for an ID theft monitoring or protection service is to ensure your identity is not compromised. Be sure your service provider is not asking for more information than necessary and also make sure you know what they do with the minute information they collect from you(if this applies). In addition, some of the best ID theft services for 2022 listed within this article are transparent in their dealings and offer a money-back guarantee limits - that way all risks are averted.

Simplicity: Simplicity is another key factor to look out for when choosing an ID theft service. Simplicity here would mean an easy to navigate app or platform, easy access to 24/7 support in the event that you do need help..

Compatibility: The best providers out there offer compatibility across a range of devices whether mobile, desktop or any other device. Notifications and ID theft alerts will be sent via these channels. on a variety of devices and you can act quickly to resolve potential threats.

Top 10 ID Theft services

The 10 1. ID services I will be discussing include:

1. Identity force

Pros

  1. Extensive monitoring
  2. Offers two-factor authentication, VPN
  3. Quarterly credit reports, scores
  4. Useful simulators & calculators
  5. One-click button for credit freezes
  6. Supports Windows 7-10, 32-bit
  7. Supports internet Explorer 6+, Edge, and Firefox 3+
  8. Tough grade 256-bit AES encryption

Cons

  1. Junk mails are somewhat intrusive

Identity force is a top class ID theft service that enables you protect yourself, family, and business from identity theft. It provides identity theft protection monitoring software to customers, businesses, organizations, and government agencies.

Payment plan is flexible as it offers both monthly and annual plans. There is an ultrasecure plan and an ultrsecure +credit plan. These services include monitoring, alerts, measures to prevent identity theft as well as recovery service.

With its ultrasecure monitor; some of the basic things that identityforce can help you track are, advanced fraud, change of address, court records, dark web, mobile attack control , payday loans, sex offender, social media as well as credit score tracker and stimulator. Some measures used by identityforce to prevent identity theft are; medical ID fraud protection, online PC protection tools, two- factor authentication and lost wallet assistance.

Identityforce also has different kinds of alerts which includes; bank and credit card activity, investment accounts, social security number tracking, junk mail opt-out, fraud alerts and identity threat alerts. In situations of stolen identity, identityforce provides you with identity theft insurance, fully managed restoration and customer service to help you fully recover your identity.

2. LifeLock

Pros

  1. Easy to use interface
  2. Comprehensive monitoring
  3. Easy credit freeze
  4. Supports windows, mac OS X, iOS, Android, and more
  5. Supports Internet Explorer 10.0, Edge, Chrome, Safari, and more
  6. Uses 128-bit encryption
  7. 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans

Cons

  1. An expensive option
  2. Its family plan cost an extra $5.99 per child.

Lifelock is by far one of the best 10 ID theft services for 2022 that stands out because of its exceptional service delivery. Lifelock offers computer and device protection in partnership with Norton 360 and it's one of the few ID theft services that offers an icing on the cake - a virtual private network (VPN) for online privacy. This is one feature that many other competitors don’t offer.

Lifelock is the most expensive of all the ID theft services but it provides you with top notch services that include monitors of most kinds of data such as investment and retirement accounts, payday lenders, credit cards and people- search websites among others. Lifelock provides a new Equifax credit score every month, it lets you initiate a credit freeze straight from the user interface and also offers mouth-watering bundles with Norton security antivirus software. Just like most services in cases of stolen identity it promises up to $1 million

Unlike many competing services, lifelock does not provide a credit score stimulator or a family plan. It also doesn’t have two-factor authentication to protect user accounts, which all identity theft protection services ought to

3. Identity Guard

Pros

  1. Full service identity theft protection plan powered by IBM
  2. Up to $1 million in identity theft coverage
  3. Great customer service
  4. Supports iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows devices
  5. Supports chrome, Safari, Dolphin, and more
  6. Uses 128-bit encryption

Cons

  1. Expensive
  2. Does not have fraud alerts with credit bureaus

It uses IBM artificial intelligence to deliver advance identity theft protection and credit monitoring. Identity guard is one of the top 10 best ID theft protection services, and its main purpose is protecting identity in the digital age. An identity Guard subscription covers theft prevention, credit monitoring, identity recovery assistance, and identity theft insurance up to $1 million.

In addition, the identity guard family plan can help kids stay safe online. If identity fraud happens to any family member, their name expenses would be restored with the $1 million identity theft coverage.

4. Privacy Guard

Pros

  1. Thorough identity monitoring
  2. Identity theft protection and credit reporting or both
  3. Up to $1m identity theft insurance
  4. Supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Cons

  1. No family plan
  2. Social network monitoring is not specifically provided.

Privacy guard is one of the top best identity theft protection services of 2022. They offer credit reporting, monitoring and identity theft recovery services. Privacy guard has three plans related to identity theft protection. The ID

protection plan focuses on identity monitoring, while the credit protection plan focuses on credit scores. The total protection plan does both identity monitoring, credit monitoring and credit scores. Privacy guard is structured in a manner that allows consumers decide what services matter to them and select a plan accordingly.

Pricing is relative to other identity protection providers as it ranges from $9.99 per month for an ID protection plan and rising to $24.99 per month for the total protection plan. Just like other ID theft protection service providers, privacy guard provides you with up to $1 million identity theft insurance plan as well as excellent customer service and premium plan offers credit monitoring and fraud restoration.

5. ID Watchdog

Pros

  1. Affordable plans
  2. Offers family protection
  3. All plans include credit monitoring
  4. Supports iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows 10
  5. Encryption: TLS

Cons

  1. Vague limit and benefit details
  2. Website lacks family plan pricing
  3. No credit reports or scores.

This is one of the best ID theft protection service in 2022. It describes itself as true identity protection, the company’s main purpose is help you recover after you have been the victim of identity theft experience. It offers a 100% identity theft resolution.

ID Watchdog offers credit monitoring for all the three credit bureaus an identity monitoring that regularly checks public records to spot any unfamiliar changes and transactions. ID watchdog helps keep your data safe with certified identity theft risk management specialists (CITRMS) that handle monitoring and identity restoration. Like other ID theft protection services, ID watchdog also offers $1 million in reimbursement and guaranteed payment for recovery.

6. Identity IQ

Pros

  1. Most basic plan includes up to $1 million in identity theft insurance
  2. Excellent customer service
  3. Families are included in the secure max plan at no extra charge.
  4. Supports iOS, macOS, Windows
  5. Supports Safari, Edge, and Chrome
  6. Encryption: SSL or TLS

Cons

  1. No mobile app available
  2. Social network monitoring is not provided.

Identity IQ is also one of the top 10 ID theft protection services. Its major feature that makes it outstanding is the $1 million recovery insurance for all plans as well as free family protection with the secure max plan. Identity IQ offers a credit score tracker for monthly fee that cost less than other premium plans.

Identity IQ has four plans which are secure plan, secure plus plan, secure pro plan and secure max. Its Secure plan is the most basic, cost 6.99 per month and covers

daily credit monitoring from one bureau, dark web monitoring, up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement, social security number alerts, synthetic ID theft protection, file-sharing network searches, assistance if wallet is lost, reports on junk mail and identity restoration service.

Its secure plus, secure pro plan and secure max plans offers even more advanced and comprehensive protection services to ensure zero compromise on your identity. However there are a few disadvantages to using identity IQ some of these are; social media monitoring are not available and no trial period for online registration.

7. Zander

Pros

  1. Comprehensive identity monitoring
  2. Low prices; as low as $6.75 monthly
  3. Free coverage for children under 18
  4. Supports android, iOS, Windows 10, macOS
  5. Supports Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, and more
  6. Encryption: SSL

Cons

  1. No credit monitoring
  2. No bank and card activity monitoring.

This is one of the cheapest identity theft protection services. The significant thing about zander is that they don’t monitor your credit scores or report, although it is quite easy to monitor you credit for free which is why the company does not include it. Nevertheless they look for your account and card numbers on the internet, so that you will have to self-monitor your financial accounts for fraud.

What this company monitors is credentials on the internet, which includes dark web. Regardless of the lack of monitoring, if your credentials are found anywhere online, zander will alert you via email and app notifications. Like many other identification theft protection services they cannot completely prevent identity theft from happening this is why they provide a $1 million in reimbursement if your identity is stolen.

8. ID shield

Pros

  1. Cost effective plans with generous family plan
  2. Supports android, iOS 9.0 and up, Windows 7-10, macOS
  3. Supports chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox
  4. Encryption: Rotating encryption keys
  5. 30-day free trial
  6. 24/7 support

Cons

  1. service offering is not quite robust

This is one of the best identity theft protection services in 2022. Just like all other identity theft protection services it cannot completely protect you from identity theft, but the service can alert you if you find yourself in that situation.

In a case where your social security number or even your email login credentials has been exposed they will help you recover if you suffer damages and can alert your social media posts that might hurt your chances of getting a job.

IDshield offers services including scanning the web for use of your credit files and personal information, alerting you to potential nefarious use of your information, unlimited idenity restoration services as well as recovery services (helping you recover lost wages and legal consultation related to the incident).

9. Experian

Pros

  1. Options to choose between plus and premium plans
  2. Free for 30days
  3. Both plans come with identity theft insurance
  4. Variety of family plans

Cons

  1. Plus plan only has insurance up to $500,000
  2. Plus plan only monitors your Experian report.

Experian is one of the best identity theft protection services in 2022. Experian provides two identity theft protection services; IDnotify and identity works. Identityworks offers two levels of identity protection for three audience; one adult, one adult and up to 10 children.

The plus plan offers credit bureau monitoring through Experian, dark web surveillance and social security number monitoring. The premium plan is much more comprehensive, providing three-bureau credit reports and additional alerts for fraud activity related to payday loans, sex offenders registries, court records and social networks.

There is a 30-day free trial for all three plans. It basically focuses on credit reports and scores. Identity theft insurance is up to $500,000 for plus plan and up to $1 million for premium plan. Credit monitoring premium plan monitors your Experian, Equifax and transunion credit reports; the plus plan only monitors Experian.

10. Credit Sesame

Pros

  1. Does a decent job monitoring credit and criminal areas
  2. Multi- factor authentication; touch ID ensures that only authorized users access our accounts
  3. Identity theft insurance up to $50.000 for free plan users
  4. Supports iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS
  5. Supports Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge, and more
  6. Encryption: 128-bit and 256-bit AES

Cons

  1. Credit sesame is not a good choice for the privacy- concerned
  2. The company’s website did not make signing up for ID Protection easy
  3. Limited customer support.

Credit sesame offers an absolutely free service that gives users updates on daily transunion credit monitoring and credit score. It's premium is more advanced and you can download monthly credit reports and SSN monitoring is available - with alerts received via mail or text.

Users enjoy up to $50k in costs if your identity is compromised while premium users enjoy $1 million in cost. Credit sesame has a very responsive 24/7 support and users can get access to professionals to guide you through restoring your identity if ever you need one.

VPN Services for online protection

An alternative to ID theft services is VPN. VPN is an acronym for virtual private network a service that protects your internet connection and privacy online. It creates an encrypted tunnel of data, protects you online identity by hiding your IP address, and allows you to use public wi-fi hotspots safely. We will look briefly into some of the best VPN services which includes Express VPN, Nord VPN, Cyberghost, Ultra VPN. We have also written some of the best VPN review.

1. Express VPN

ExpressVPN is an outstanding VPN provider. One of the amazing qualities of Express VPN is that it is incredibly easy to use on any platform, whether it’s on your phone, computer, or even playSation. It delivers the full package of seed security, configurable privacy features and great reliability.

Express VPN helps you with powerful online protection; it helps you access any content, no matter your location. With Express VPN, you get a 30- day money back guarantee if you are not 100% satisfied with Express VPN, you will get a refund.

2. Nord VPN

NordVPN is yet another standout big player in the VPN World. NordVPN also has amazing features such as privacy on the go, this means that it protects your online life with one click. Is also allows you to have access to internet no matter the location it has no limits or borders.

This type of VPN helps you connect with 6 devices secure them all in any combination, you have maximum security and cam protect you data non -stop your data will never be exposed even for a brief moment. This VPN is incredibly easy to use and you can keep your browsing to yourself as it masks your IP.

3. Cyber ghost

With cyber Ghost VPN, you can enjoy a secure vpn connection on up to 7 devices simultaneously. Our state of the art VPN security, along with strict no-logs policy guarantees total data anonymity across all apps and platforms.

This VPN offers an easy to use, fast and reliable service. It has plenty of servers to provide you with options such as anonymous surfing, unblocked streaming and anonymous torrenting.

4. Ultra VPN

Ultra VPN gives you the privacy and security you deserve. Its network is fast and would not slow own internet connection, it provides you with maximum security to help you stay safe on public wifi and keep your browsing activity private.

There are no boundaries when using this VPN as it allows you to browse effortlessly no matter the location as you are not limited to borders.

Bottom line

Prevention is definitely better than the aftermath of an identity breach. When it comes to online security, privacy or protection, it's best to act proactively. If your private information has been stolen online, your identity is prone to compromise. In addition to ID theft services, it is important that every aspect of your online dealings is under lock and key. A smart way to safe guard your personal data online is using a VPN. To learn more about VPNS please check out our best vpn review for 2022