What is the best identity theft protection?
The short answer
Aura is our pick for most people. One Aura subscription covers three-bureau credit monitoring, fast alerts and $1 million insurance. It also includes antivirus, a VPN and a password manager. LifeLock is the experienced alternative and works especially well as part of Norton 360 with LifeLock.
In detail
A good identity service watches a lot, alerts you fast and helps you recover. Aura does all three well for the money. It monitors all three credit bureaus and sends near-real-time alerts in a clean app. Insurance goes up to $1 million per adult. The subscription also includes good antivirus, VPN and password tools. The family plan covers children too. Their unused Social Security numbers are a favorite target for fraud.
LifeLock is the veteran in this field with the deepest restoration experience. Its case managers have helped thousands of victims through the cleanup. LifeLock Core watches two credit bureaus. Advanced and Total watch all three. LifeLock fits especially well in the Norton 360 with LifeLock bundles. Those combine device security and identity monitoring in one subscription. Before an annual LifeLock plan renews, you get an email with the price for the next year.
Whichever service you choose, add a free credit freeze. A freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion blocks new-account fraud. Your paid service then covers what a freeze cannot. Think of misuse of your existing accounts, your data on the dark web and the recovery work when something goes wrong.
Relevant to this question
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Gen Digital