Best Identity Theft Protection Services 2022

But what exactly is an identity theft protection company? And how can they help keep you safe?

Carry on reading below as we give you the low-down on what protection agencies do, which is the best identity theft protection service for you, and what actions you can take on your own to keep yourself protected.

ID theft protection: How to know if you need one?

The first question you might want to ask yourself when deciding if you need identity theft protection services is if you are at high risk of being targeted by ID thieves. ID theft protection services can often come at a premium cost, so before you go enrolling the service of the professionals, you should consider these steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Monitor your credit score through personal finance websites and keep an eye out for any changes to your credit report — if you see a change you haven’t anticipated then something might be wrong.
• Freeze your credit files at the major credit bureaus, preventing attackers from opening new fraudulent accounts.
• Report any identity theft attempts and follow the free directions given by the federal government at IdentityTheft.gov.

So they are the steps that you can take on your own to help protect your identity from theft, but what exactly do ID theft protection companies do that you can’t do on your own? Here’s a quick list of what you can expect to get from an ID theft protection company:

• Alerts: Sometimes it’s better to know as an attack has first started when you still have time to defend yourself. When protected by an ID theft protection firm, you will be alerted by their team whenever your personal information has been used, e.g. when someone tries to open a bank account in your name. Finding out before your cards have been fully depleted may give you the edge to freeze the account before the thief is able to make any further withdrawals — thus minimizing the damage and giving you a much better case to get your money back from the bank.
• Monitoring: The constant level of monitoring that you will receive from an ID theft protection agency will help keep you up-to-date and quick to respond should an attack be made on your data. The company will alert you as soon as it flags up on their system, giving you time to take action and protect yourself.
• Recovery: Most insurance policies that these companies can provide you will cover up to $1,000,000 in damages and lost money. This response is vital to protecting your credit score and minimizing the damage suffered in a cyber attack.

Identity theft protection services: Overview

Below, we will cover a range of different companies which offer ID theft protection services and break down why they are good and what makes them unique.

Best Overall Pick

IdentityForce Ultra Secure+Credit | $23.99 per month

While this package may come with a higher price than some of the other competitors on the list, the Identity Force Ultra Secure+Credit plan comes equipped with various benefits. These benefits include robust credit monitoring, a VPN network for safe browsing, social media and cell phone monitoring and a whole host of other benefits.

One thing to remember before signing up with Identity Force Ultra Secure+Credit is that the credit reports are provided on a quarterly basis, unlike competitors who offer credit reports monthly.

Best For Credit Monitoring

Experian IdentityWorks Premium | $19.99 per month

If you want to focus on credit monitoring, then you can trust the services of one of the three main credit bureaus responsible for your credit score. They are the best site for identity theft protection and credit monitoring because of their expert knowledge in the field. It helps them to create a perfect plan to provide coverage for your credit score. The perks don’t stop there, as they also offer bank account and lost wallet assistance, payday loan monitoring, file-sharing, and social network monitoring.

Our only concern with this premium service is upon registration. They do collect and use some personal data that isn’t so relevant to the service, such as your IP address, pixel tags, and disclosure to third parties.

Best for Families

IDShield Family 3 Bureaus | $34.95 per month

If you have a full household and want to make sure your kids are protected when they are surfing the web and sharing messages online with their social followings. IDShield Family 3 Bureaus may be the best family identity theft protection. Not only do you gain access to instant alerts about changes related to fraudulent activity, but you will also gain access to a licensed private investigator as part of the package deal. Cover up to 10 kids inside one family plan with IDShield and make use of their VPN and malware protection services.

All this protection doesn’t come cheap, though, and this package doesn’t come with any form of discount for purchasing a year upfront.

Best ID Theft Recovery Plan

ReliaShield Elite | $21.99 per month

If you want good identity theft protection, including restoration services that are more focused on results and guarantees, then look no further than ReliaShiel Elite. Boasting a 100% recovery success rate makes ReliaShield the obvious choice for someone wanting to make sure they have a safety net in case they fall victim to an online attack.

This service requires additional verification should you wish to utilize their credit monitoring features.

Fastest Identity Theft Detection

Identity Guard Total | $13.33 per month

Sometimes, speed is the only thing you need. If you are in a rush and just want to know which service has the fastest detection speed so that you can begin securing your defenses and countering the attack, then Identity Guard Total is our recommendation for you. It’s a trusted provider with a comprehensive monitoring system to ensure threats are detected quickly and efficiently.

Remember that with so much focus on speed, other areas like financial protection services will be ignored, unlike other choices on this list.

Cheap and Cheerful Choice

PrivacyGuard Identity Protection | $9.99 per month

You want professional help, but you don’t want to take out a new loan to pay for it…we’ve got you covered. PrivacyGuard Identity Protection is the perfect choice for people who want basic coverage without any extra fancy add-ons. Save yourself some extra cash by enlisting the help of PrivacyGuard, and they will monitor your credit reports, bank accounts, public records, and credit cards.

If you are looking for comprehensive coverage, this may not be the choice for you.

Comprehensive Online Coverage

Clario Identity Protection | £5.99 per month

Keep your data safe online with the help of Clario’s identity protection services. From emails, social media, credit scores, SSN, and medical records — your online accounts will be regularly checked, and you’ll be notified should any of your sensitive information be leaked or compromised.  

Lock down your accounts and protect your online browsing with the use of Clario’s exclusive VPN. Clario comes with a long list of benefits designed to keep your data safe and secure without incurring hefty costs.

Outro

All-in-all, when you look at each identity theft protection service that is available, there is a little something for everyone. As with any choice in life, make an informed one. Make sure you have read our identity theft protection services review carefully. The review will help you to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each service, and choose the one that suits your needs and budget most accurately. If you want your choice made easy, you can go ahead and click the link below and find out for yourself why Clario is a trusted online identity theft service.

Read more:

• What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen
• How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft?
• Identity Theft Prevention: A How-To Guide