Identity theft is one of the most serious security threats in our world today. The internet and technology, for sure brings a lot of benefits and convenience for everyone by different means. However, people do not know or maybe some haven’t given it a lot of thought that there are some very serious security issues like identity theft.
Even when different security platforms tell you that they are providing you with their top-notch security services, you can become a victim of any of the security issues out there, including identity theft. While there is not a lot that we can do to stop the bad guys, we can increase our protection, which can be made possible by getting identity theft protection services. So, here we will be discussing all that you need to know in this regard.
What are the identity theft protection services?
Before jumping right onto these services, first, you need to understand the basic concept of identity theft. As the term is pretty much self-explanatory, it means that someone is using someone else’s personal information, including important documents like passport, debit, or credit cards and whatnot.
What is even worse here is that this information can be used for any misdeeds without the owner knowing. Identity theft protection services aim at providing protection services against these issues that you can face in the following ways:
(1) SSN theft
(2) Financial identity theft
(3) Medical ID theft
(4) Mail identity theft
(5) Tax identity theft
(6) Home title fraud
(7) Digital identity theft and many more
With identity theft protection, you can have some peace of mind that your online presence is monitored and secure.
Best Identity Theft Protection Services (2022)
IdentityForce
Identity Guard
IDShield
ReliaShield
Why getting identity theft protection services is so important
Getting identity theft protection cannot be overemphasized. The threats in our world today, and the unwavering efforts by hackers is a serious call for concern.
So, everyone must get an identity theft protection solution. The following people are more exposed to this security issue:
(1) Elderly
(2) Prior victims
(3) Children
(4) Deceased
(5) Negligent and many more
With this list of more vulnerable people to identity theft, getting a protection service is vital. These thefts can range from digital to physical theft, which can result in very huge losses.
If you become a victim of hackers and data breach, your digital presence will be accessible to them. It is going to be almost impossible also to stop these bad guys. So, instead of allowing that to happen first, it is better for you to take protective measures. This is why getting a protection against such security issues is so important.
Tips for selecting the best identity theft protection services
When it comes to providing some service, every company in that area of service pictures herself as the best option. However, if we take a look at the reality, things are pretty different with some companies in this regard. This means that if you select the wrong company for your digital protection, you can face a lot of trouble.
So, instead of the attraction and fascination by what the websites tell about themselves, you must follow these tips. In this way, you will be able to make the best selection regarding your identity theft protection service provider.
Start with checking the identity theft protection features you are getting
The right thing to do is starting things with some research. When you are looking to find out which of these protection service providers is the better choice for you, you first need to check out what services you are getting and this very first step in the process will help narrow a lot of available options. Also, you will save a lot of time in comparison as you will neglect most of the options straight away.
Visit a provider’s website, as a good company always invests in its online presence and makes it as professional as possible. If the website looks unprofessional, that in itself is a red flag.
Check the sources that the provider keeps track of such as public records, major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion etc. This is necessary because protection service providers make sure that people’s identity is not being used somewhere else. When bad actors use someone’s identity, they use it on different platforms mostly online. So, protection service providers monitor this and whenever some user’s identity is used by someone else, on any of the options under monitoring, the identity theft service provider know and notify the user immediately.
Identify your needs regarding these identity theft security features
In most cases, it is thought to be better starting with knowing your requirements first. However, in this case, we suggest you do the exact opposite. This is because when you know your requirements, you might start looking only for the option that merely meets your requirements.
On the other hand, your scope will broaden when you start by putting the options first based on services and features. In this way, when you identify your requirements, you will know which of the platforms is meeting your requirements as well as providing the best value.
Customer reviews for an identity theft protection service
In this online world of buying, selling, and getting services, there are not a lot of ways to ensure the quality you are getting. However, the customer review section is a very important aspect that proves to be useful most of the time.
Whenever you are looking to select some identity theft protection provider, you need to ensure to check the customer reviews. In this way, you will know about the experience that these companies provided to their previous customers. So, it will help a lot in narrowing the list down.
Prefer the bigger names when it comes to identity theft protection services
Did you know that the companies and service providers that have bigger names in the market are prone to providing better services? The reason is that these companies are concerned about a lot more than just your security.
One of those things is their reputation, and in this way, they end up providing better services. It is something that will never be possible when you go for a smaller name in the market.
Insurance plans of an identity theft security service
You will observe that a lot of protection service providers, provide you with some insurance. That is applicable in the case where you are getting their security services for identity theft protection, and you still become a victim of some theft.
In this case, the insurance plan will cover some of the damage for you, but it varies from company to company. So, when you choose your identity theft protection provider, you must consider the insurance plans and look for the things covered under those plans.
Always prefer comparing different companies and services providers
One of the biggest and the most common mistakes that a lot of persons make, is continuously selecting the first available option. Whether it is about some physical product, search results on a browser, or anything else. Although it saves some time, it is not the best practice.
So, what you need to do instead is to compare and contrast different service providers and companies that provide identity theft protection services. This will be very helpful for individuals who are looking for the best value from their service provider.
Your budget is important, so it must be part of the selection process.
Another factor that you need to consider is your budget. You must properly plan things so that you do not have to face any issues with paying for your desired service. This plan should include your first time subscription and subsequent payments you will be making for renewals.
Afterwards, you can check for the service providers with good value on their identity theft protection services that fall within your budget.
It is also important to know a little about the technical stuff because it will also be an important part of the selection process. So, here are some of the technical features that you must look for when choosing the protection services
SSN Monitoring
Social Security Number monitoring is a service used by individuals to protect their personal information. Because of the several usefulness of a social security number, it is a target for identity theft. You can use identity theft protection services to monitor and safeguard your social security number from identity theft. You will be notified immediately, whenever any kind of activity takes place with your SSN.
Dark Web Monitoring
The term dark web refers to the online world that is not accessible for average users. This stuff is not even present on regular web browsers. However, identity theft can be a major issue over here. So, these monitoring services scan the black markets and dark web pages to ensure that your information is not present there.
Address Change Monitoring
Address change is a new and popular identity theft issue that involves spoofing a new address on your name. This address can be real or fictional. However, identity theft protection services provide this feature where they are able to access all the USPS databases to ensure that your information is only being used for the addresses that belong to you.
Financial Account Monitoring
This is one of the most attractive and well-performing features or functionality by identity theft protection service providers. What happens here is that you can set thresholds for an amount that can move to or from your accounts according to your needs.
In the event where something unexpected happens beyond these limits, you will be notified immediately, making things pretty secure at your end. It is a very critical matter of time, and immediate action keeps you safe from expensive identity theft issues.
Credit Monitoring
Monitoring your credit scores can tell you about any possible threat. Your identity theft service provider constantly monitors and compares your credit scores, and reveals any suspicious activity.
Court Record Monitoring
Court record monitoring is an identity theft protection feature that will tell about any crime if it is committed in your name. Your reputation matters, and most importantly, your name must not be seen with regards to any form of identity theft or crime.
Additionally, if you do not keep track of such things, you might get to face the consequences of something that you were not even aware of. So, getting these services will help you in keeping your identity safe.
Bank Account Take Over Monitoring
If unauthorized persons gain access to your bank accounts, there can be huge issues for you. This kind of identity theft can involve several bad deeds, including stealing all your money by transferring or making purchases.
So, you can get an identity theft protection service to take over monitoring your personal information, and in this way, you can stay safe by all means.
Things that you need to do yourself to enhance your protection
If you think you have paid the protection service providers their fee and now you are free and safe to do whatever you want, you may not be totally right. There are still some protective measures that you need to take, and only by taking those measures can you stay safe in this digital world. So, here are some of the most important things that you need to be concerned about:
All important documents must be secure
The first one is keeping all of your documents secure. This means that everything containing important information must be secure where no one can access it. So, keeping things like different ID cards and passports in the lock will be an amazing option because it will keep others from accessing them.
The experts even say that if you have some bank cards on you, only take them out if you are using them or need them. Otherwise, it is not good to take them as they can be cloned within seconds without you even knowing.
Make sure never to use unsecured networks
Most of the crimes in the digital world are committed over networks, and you need to ensure that your network is safe. Ensuring that you are never connecting to an unsecured network is the best thing that you need to do in this regard.
Always keep an eye on social engineering scams
It is very easy to fall for a social engineering scam. Only an alphabet is different in a link, and an attacker can get your personal information. So, whenever you are logging into any platform, ensure that the link you are using is correct.
Keep track of your finances regularly
It is a great practice to keep track of your finances. Even if you cannot do it after every transaction you make, you can still check your bank account once at the end of the day, which will ensure that you are up to date with your financial records.
Develop good digital habits
The last thing that you need to do is to develop good digital habits. It includes developing habits of only visiting reputable websites and skipping links that seem suspicious. Moreover, using paid internet security, VPN, and all other important services. Lastly, never go for pirated software as it may come with some identity issues. One click can take you towards a huge loss.
Final Verdict
The importance of guarding against identity theft cannot be over-emphasized. Also, maintaining digital security is essential and so is the difficulty in doing this. This is the reason why it has become very important for every individual to get protection services. However, the selection part is not going to be that straightforward. But this article is a detailed guide with helping you choose a reliable service provider.
What you must do is back up your decisions with research and planning, ensure your requirements are met adequately and you will not face hassles.
