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Best Overall
The best ID theft services include comprehensive monitoring of your identity and credit, which includes checking whether your personal information, such as your name, email address, phone number, and SSN, has been leaked on the dark web.
But what is the dark web? It's a hotspot for cybercriminals to trade stolen sensitive information, which makes identity theft protection with dark web monitoring services more crucial than ever. We recommend Aura, LifeLock by Norton, and OmniWatch as top identity theft services that include continuous dark web monitoring.
Based on our independent testing, we think Aura is the best overall. Aura offers an easy-to-use security suite at a good price point. LifeLock is the best for families, offering plans with dark web monitoring for couples and families with up to five kids. Meanwhile, OmniWatch offers budget-friendly protection for individuals.
Dark web monitoring is when a cybersecurity service scans the hidden part of the internet that's home to illegal marketplaces. Surfing the dark web isn't illegal, but bad actors use these hard-to-reach interwebs to buy, sell, and trade stolen digital information, like your Social Security number. Cybercriminals can access your sensitive leaked data from hacks and data breaches, the latter of which is totally out of your control. Then, they blast your info on the dark web for the highest bidder, putting you in the crosshairs of identity thieves.
That's why the best identity theft services include comprehensive identity, credit, and dark web monitoring.
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| Starting price | Starts at $9.00/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $10.42/mo for first yr (billed annually) | Starts at $7.00/mo (billed annually) |
| Number of people covered | 5 adults and unlimited children | 1-2 adults and up to 5 children | 1 adult |
| ID theft insurance | Up to $1 million per adult | Up to $3 million | Up to $2 million |
| Types of identity monitoring | Credit, SSN, Home & auto title, Criminal & court records, lost wallet remediation | Identity and SSN, dark web, phone takeover, home title, social media | Dark web, data breaches |
| ID restoration services | |||
| Dark web monitoring | |||
| Credit monitoring | |||
| 3-bureau credit reports | |||
| Extras | Antivirus software, password manager, data removal, basic VPN Add-ons: AI spam call & message protection, parental controls, Safe Gaming, |
Data removal services | Antivirus software, ad blocker, ransomware protection insurance, scam protection insurance |
| Details | Get Aura | Get LifeLock | Get OmniWatch |
To review identity theft protection services, we sign up for the service several days prior to our review. This allows the service time to begin populating our dashboard with identity and credit monitoring information and send us real-time alerts. During this time, we also evaluate the service's ease of use, contact customer support, and play around with the extra features.
After spending some time with the service, we use our proprietary grading rubric which calculates a star rating based on prices, identity monitoring features, credit features, and other criteria.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full ID theft testing methodology here.
#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
Aura is a set-and-forget full cybersecurity suite that's perfect for individuals, couples, or families. When we signed up for Aura, we selected which data to store in our Vault, including all our email addresses, SSN, driver's license, gaming handle, and more. Aura then quickly scanned the dark web for our information and provided clear alerts. Powered by AI technology, Aura provides a protective shield against potential threats, including phishing scams, hackers, and devious forums where stolen dark web data can be traded.
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Continuous monitoring: Aura continuously scans the dark web and data breaches for your leaked passwords and personally identifiable information (PII). Then, Aura offers real-time alerts that populate the dashboard when critical items are found. Aura also sends a weekly report of what it has scanned and found, which lets you know the service is constantly working on your behalf.
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Data removal: Aura is an all-in-one digital security service that provides a wide range of services, including data broker removal, to protect you and your family from identity theft and keep your personal information from being sold to data brokers. Why does this matter? Every day, thousands of data brokers aggregate your public information and create data profiles of you, including your phone number, home address, email address, family members, and so much more. When bad actors access your personal details, they can easily steal your identity.
Robust monitoring: Aura monitors your personally identifiable information, like your name, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), and email addresses, as well as home and auto titles. It also monitors your financial information, such as your credit scores, credit card numbers, bank accounts, and more. You'll also be alerted when Aura finds your PII in a data breach or data leak.
No social media monitoring: We didn’t like that Aura doesn’t provide social media monitoring services to check if your identity has been compromised on popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, to name a few. While this may not be a big deal to some, this can be a huge drawback for those who use social media sites frequently and don’t want their personal information leaked.
Top-rated identity theft protection service
Provides up to $3 million in coverage
Multiple monitoring features including dark web, home title, and social media monitoring
Norton LifeLock is a vanguard against the rising menace of child identity theft. Families can have peace of mind knowing that the reputable Norton brand is monitoring and protecting their identity with its LifeLock services, thanks to its comprehensive features and pricing plans that cater to every family member, whether they are a minor or an adult.
Parents, especially, can feel safe knowing that their children's digital footprints are armored against potential cybercriminals and identity theft thieves.
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Robust monitoring: All plan tiers come with dark web monitoring, identity and utility alerts, credit monitoring, and stolen wallet protection. Norton’s family plans cover two adults and up to five kids, so it's also attractive for families. With the Ultimate Plus plan, you can monitor your families' identities and protect them from being leaked on the dark web, and you'll get the following features:
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Includes ID insurance for children: We liked that Norton LifeLock family plans provide up to $1.05 million in coverage per child. Plans also feature at least $1.05 million in identity theft protection per individual for stolen funds reimbursement, personal expense compensation, and coverage for both lawyers and experts.
Frustrating customer support: We found Norton LifeLock’s customer support to be lackluster. First, the agent we chatted with copied and pasted information that was irrelevant to our inquiry about which credit bureau monitors credit under LifeLock’s Standard and Advantage plans. Second, we chatted with another representative who stated that both Equifax and TransUnion monitor credit under the LifeLock’s Advantage plan, even though the website states that it’s Equifax only. Third, we spoke with another support agent who told us the same information and then changed their answer to Equifax. Overall, it was a very frustrating customer service experience.
Real-time monitoring, alerts, and tools
Protect your devices with included VPN and antivirus
24/7 access to identity restoration experts
OmniWatch is a budget-friendly identity theft protection service for individuals who need identity, credit, and dark web monitoring. OmniWatch focuses on the essentials, whereas more costly competitors include social media, financial, and more niche monitoring. If you're mostly concerned about your SSN appearing on the dark web and want to keep an eye on your credit activity, OmniWatch can cover you without breaking the bank.
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Tracks data breaches: OmniWatch has a whole tab devoted to data breaches, which competitors typically don't. It also displays recent data breaches on a ticker, which we found helpful in seeing the latest breaches that affected us. Plus, OmniWatch continuously scans the dark web and alerts you if information that was leaked in a data breach is found.
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Dedicated mobile apps: We like that OmniWatch offers its dark web monitoring, scam protection, antivirus, VPN, and more on dedicated apps for Android and iPhone. You can download the OmniWatch app from the Google Play Store or the App Store, ensuring real-time protection on your mobile devices.
No extended plans: OmniWatch is a great budget-friendly service, and we wish it offered coverage for couples or families.
Selecting the ideal ID theft protection service hinges on various criteria. Each service has its unique strengths, so you must consider your personal and financial priorities when making a choice.
Here are some considerations when choosing an identity theft protection service:
Yes. The dark web promises anonymity, but it isn't foolproof. Savvy cybercriminals might potentially trace users who use it. That's why security experts like us recommend using a VPN if you plan to surf the dark web. As a bonus, top VPN providers include dark web monitoring so that you can stay a step ahead of identity thieves.
Given the increasing identity theft losses each year, investing in dark web monitoring can be pivotal. Such services are a crucial part of identity theft protection and credit monitoring, offering alerts if your personally identifiable information (like your Social Security number, home address, phone number, and more) surfaces in these hidden corners of the internet.
LifeLock by Norton delves into the dark web, scouting for any traces of your personal data. It monitors 13 different categories of your personal information, including your name, SSN, driver's license, mother's maiden name, and more. Then, Norton sends you an alert if your information has been leaked. Norton is often considered among the best identity theft protection services, especially in preventing child identity theft.
As cyber threats loom larger each day, identity theft protection services have become indispensable. We recommend Aura as our top choice based on its perks, price, and robust monitoring features.
Identity theft losses can be crippling, both emotionally and financially. However, with the protective shield offered by these services, users are better poised to face the digital age's challenges.
#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
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