In a Nutshell
pros
- Affordable protection against identity theft
- Ability to choose a level of protection to suit your needs
- Family plans available
cons
- Only the top 2 pricing tiers include credit monitoring
- While affordable, the pricing tiers and discounts are confusing
A Brilliant Solution For
Individuals and families
Budget-friendly basic ID theft protection
Affordable comprehensive coverage, if needed
How Does It Work
Identity Defense protects your online financial and other personal information from fraudsters. Delivered via a cloud-based service, Identity Defense:
Monitors and protects your accounts and personal information
Alerts you of any suspicious activity detected on them
Helps you recover from any financial losses sustained as a result of identity theft
Using artificial intelligence by IBM Watson, Identity Defense monitors and protects your online identity around the clock. IBM Watson’s AI has the capacity to continually scan billions of data sources for the use of your personal details. This allows Identity Defense to keep an eye on your accounts and other personal information 24/7.
It monitors financial accounts, credit scores, dark web activity, and social media sites for events such as:
Attempted credit applications in your name
Changes to a bank account
Use of your credit card details, social security number, health insurance ID, or passport
Use of your personal details including date of birth, email, and mailing address
If your accounts or personal information are compromised, Identity Defense instantly notifies you, so you can act immediately and protect your identity from the threat. It also offers stolen funds reimbursement for financial losses resulting from identity theft.
Identity Defense’s plans cater to both individuals and families and provide different levels of protection depending on your needs and financial circumstances.
What Does The Service Watch Out For
Identity Defense offers 3 tiers of coverage, providing increasingly comprehensive layers of protection against the threat of identity theft. All 3 plans include up to $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance to compensate for stolen funds.
Identity Defense’s Essential plan includes:
Dark web monitoring to track any of your personal information that appears on the dark web
High-risk transaction monitoring to detect any suspicious activity on your accounts
The Plus plan includes the features of an Essential Plan as well as:
3-bureau credit monitoring (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion)
Monthly credit score check
Address monitoring, for both home and business
The Complete plan offers the most comprehensive coverage. In addition to all of the above features available under both the Essential and Plus plans, it includes:
Yearly credit report and scores
Social media monitoring for platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Bank account takeover monitoring in the event someone tries to access your accounts
Recovery Services- what can Identity Defense do if my identity is stolen?
In the event your identity is compromised, Identity Defense offers up to $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance and stolen funds reimbursement coverage.
While this figure is fairly standard across the industry, it’s reassuringly available with each of Identity Defense’s plans, including the entry-level Essential plan.
How Easy Is It to Use?
Identity Defense is cloud-based, so it’s easy to access and use via its website. The sign-up process is straightforward, requiring customers to provide basic identity information including their address and social security number in an online form.
Pricing
Identity Defense offers 3 tiers of payment plans for both individuals and families. Each plan includes up to $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance. Identity Defense appears to regularly offer discounts on its family plans.
Individual - $8.99/month or $107.88/year
Family - $14.99/month or $179.88/year
Individual - $19.99/month or $239.88/year
Family - $29.99/month or $359.88/year
Individual - $29.99/month or $359.88/year
Family - $39.99/month or $479.88/year
Help and Support
Identity Defense has a US-based client care center available:
Monday - Friday from 8am-11pm EST
Sunday from 9am-6pm EST
The client care team is contactable by phone or email.
How does - Identity Defense compare to its competitors?
Bottom Line
Identity Defense is one of the most affordable solutions currently on the market for protection against identity theft, offering different levels of protection to suit your needs and budget.