Best identity theft protection in 2026
Our in-house experts test identity theft protection services themselves, using real-world scenarios and established testing methods. We look at how well each service monitors personal information, how quickly and clearly it sends alerts, what recovery support it offers, and how it handles customer data.
We assess every provider using the same criteria and explain our testing process clearly, so readers can compare services and make a more informed choice.
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Identity theft affects millions of people every year, and it can be a long, damaging process to recover from. It can result in financial losses or you might find yourself in actual legal trouble if personal information, such as your SSN, is leaked on the dark web. Identity theft protection (ITP) services can monitor and track your exposed data and provide support in case anything happens. But not all ITP providers offer equal protection. Some lock the best features behind higher-tier plans, while others offer only the bare minimum.
To help you make an informed decision, I reviewed the 8 best identity theft protection services of 2026 based on select criteria. For the majority of the providers, I carried out my tests over the period of 2 weeks, using a dedicated test identity and a burner email seeded across a few known-leaked databases. The focus of the tests was to observe how detailed the initial report was, how quickly the select tools informed users of possible breaches, and what features stood out or fell short.
Best identity theft protection 2026
- Coveron – broadest insurance-covered identity theft protection service
- Norton LifeLock – best AI-powered identity theft protection service
- Aura – best feature-rich identity theft protection for families with kids
- Surfshark Alert – best cost-effective identity protection solution
- Guardio – best for proactive scam and phishing protection
- Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection – best for comprehensive identity monitoring
- Incogni – best for removing exposed identity data
- Avast Secure Identity – best for all-in-one identity and device security
Our in-house experts test identity theft protection services using real-world scenarios and consistent criteria. We assess monitoring, alerts, recovery support, and data handling to help readers compare providers confidently. Learn more about our testing process.
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What does identity theft protection cover?
Here are the key features a solid identity theft protection service should include:
- Credit monitoring (ideally 3 bureaus) – tracks Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion for new accounts or suspicious changes. Cheaper plans often support only one bureau, leaving a blind spot.
- Dark web monitoring – scans for exposed SSNs, passwords, and card numbers so you can act before they're misused.
- Financial account monitoring – monitors bank and card accounts for unauthorized transactions.
- Real-time alerts – issue notifications, hastening damage control.
- Identity theft insurance – reimburses losses and recovery costs, depending on your selected provider.
- Restoration support – case managers who help cancel fraudulent accounts and clear your name, separating full-service providers from monitoring-only tools.
- Address change and takeover alerts – flags common tactics used to hijack mail or accounts.
- Family protection – allows parents to monitor their child’s data so they can catch possible misuses early.
- Bundled extras (VPN, antivirus, data removal) – adds value if you'd pay for these separately anyway.
- Global availability – many providers are US-only, with some exceptions, so if you’re residing outside of the US, it’s important to confirm availability before purchasing a plan.
Best identity theft protection services 2026 – detailed reviews
For this list, the Cybernews researchers looked at the most popular identity theft protection tools to find only the best ones for you. The goal was to identify services that offer enough features to protect your data online, detect potential leaks, and provide solutions if your ID has been compromised.
1. Coveron – best identity theft protection service overall
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $2.84/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $2M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Criminal records monitoring, malware breach alerts, identity theft recovery, cyber extortion insurance, short-term loan monitoring, credit lock |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get up to 71% OFF with a 2-year plan |
Coveron offers comprehensive identity theft protection with 24/7 dark web monitoring, credit monitoring (working with up to three major bureaus on higher-tier plans), and financial account monitoring. It also offers a broad range of insurance coverage worth up to $2 million, depending on the plan. Coveron is a good choice if you’re looking for affordable pricing and a simple setup. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for the best identity theft protection for seniors or working adults alike.
Impressive monitoring system
Cybernews team tested Coveron’s dark web monitoring with three test email addresses, and it surfaced 19 separate leak instances across them, each with a breakdown of what exactly had been exposed: plain or hashed passwords, usernames, and even IP addresses in some cases. To stress-test it further, I ran an older email address with a known breach history through the system. Coveron returned 30 reports in under a minute, which is nearly twice of what Have I Been Pwned discovered for the same email address (for the record, Have I Been Pwned returned 18 results).
That gap suggests Coveron is pulling from combo lists and leaked databases beyond the standard breach sources most free tools check, which is a meaningful edge if you're trying to get the full picture of your exposure. Each flagged report comes with a risk rating (high or medium) and a short list of concrete next steps, such as password reset or account monitoring, rather than just a generic "you've been breached" notice.
Lack of multi-person support
While I appreciated the features that came with even the basic plan, I was disappointed that there’s no plan that covers more than one person. A household would need to purchase separate accounts, which can complicate their management and reduce parental control.
Coveron’s pricing
Coveron offers three tiers of plans and is an affordable entry point to ITP systems. The cheapest plan is Scam Protection, starting at $2.84/month. Identity Theft Protection plan costs $5.69/month, while Full Protection is priced at $9.49/month.
2. Norton Lifelock – best for credit monitoring
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $10.42/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes (7 days) |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $3M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Stolen funds insurance, identity restoration specialists, AI financial defense, home title monitoring, phone takeover monitoring |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get up to 16% OFF Norton LifeLock |
Norton LifeLock's dark web monitoring covers a wide range of personal data, and depending on your plan, you get 2 or 3-bureau credit monitoring alongside up to $3M in identity theft insurance and $1M in coverage for stolen funds. In practice, I found the bank and phone takeover alerts genuinely useful – but the alert delays other users report are a real pattern, not a rare edge case.
The general sentiment toward the provider leans positive for people who want a comprehensive, hands-off identity protection service. Lifelock is appreciated for its broad monitoring capabilities and the convenience of bundling identity protection with Norton's antivirus, VPN, and password manager. This identity protection tool works best for users who want to get rid of the manual steps when it comes to core monitoring features. Its value increases when restoration support and an all-in-one approach are taken into account.
Experimental AI-driven technology
Norton Lifelock incorporated AI in its ID theft protection system via AI-powered Scam Protection. It is designed to help protect you from increasingly sophisticated online scams. The AI protection offers regular email and call monitoring to block scams before they can cause harm. The deepfake detection piece is what actually caught my attention here, since voice and video scams are becoming a real threat, and most competitors on this list don't touch that angle at all.
That said, it's worth going in with realistic expectations: it’s a new technology, and Norton itself frames deepfake detection as still experimental, so I wouldn't treat it as a fully mature safety net just yet – more like a genuinely useful head start.
Monitoring can be a mixed bag
When reviewing LifeLock, the one thing that stood out was that even Core, the entry-level plan, includes 2-bureau credit monitoring – most competitors on this list make you upgrade for anything past a single bureau. Move up to Advanced or Total, and the third bureau gets added. What’s more, I found that higher-tier plans extend monitoring to investment accounts, 401(k) activity, and additional financial institutions.
The reporting cycle scales the same way – monthly on Core, moving up to daily on Total. Daily reporting isn't something everyone needs, but it's worth the higher tier if you're actively rebuilding credit after a fraud incident or watching for new accounts in real time; for anyone just keeping a passive eye on things, monthly is plenty.
But while credit monitoring was smooth, a recurring complaint across reviews is alerts arriving days or even weeks after the fact, sometimes alongside offshore support routing that makes it harder to get a fast answer when something needs immediate attention. Combined with pricing that runs higher than several premium competitors on this list, LifeLock's core monitoring is solid, but you're paying a premium for a support experience that doesn't always match it.
Norton Lifelock’s pricing
Norton Lifelock is one of the more expensive providers on this list. The cheapest plan is called Core and starts at $10.42/month. The Advanced plan starts at From $16.67/month/month, while the Total plan costs $29.17/month.
3. Aura – best for protecting the whole family online
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $10.00/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes (14 days) |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $1M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Identity theft protection, Instant Credit Lock, antivirus, VPN, password manager, data removal from 200+ data brokers, Unused Digital Account Cleanup |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get up to 63% OFF Aura Identity Theft Protection |
Aura provides comprehensive identity theft protection across all plans, including 3-bureau credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and up to $1M in ID theft insurance per adult. Plans for adults can include unlimited number of kids, or you can purchase a kid-specific plan.
Setup takes longer than most competitors on this list, and you should expect a fairly detailed intake questionnaire covering your SSN, past addresses, and even old loan payments, since Aura uses that history to verify your identity before activating credit monitoring. It's a more thorough process than something like Coveron's lighter signup, but it also means Aura has more to work with once monitoring goes live.
Aura also bundles a VPN, antivirus, password manager, and data broker removal into every plan. Worth noting that the company disclosed a data exposure in 2026 that reportedly affected the contact details of tens of thousands of customers.
Family protection
In my opinion, Aura stands out for its family protection. The Family plan protects 5 adults and an unlimited number of kids. Or you can purchase a plan that’s directly aimed at children. These plans include enhanced parental controls that not only block and filter content but also provide additional protection against cyberbullying and online predators. Parental controls for gaming also include in-game voice and text monitoring, so there’s around-the-clock protection for minors.
Dark web monitoring
Dark web monitoring is where Aura's depth really shines, as it continuously scans the open internet. In one independent test, turning on monitoring surfaced around 30 instances of exposed personal data within minutes – noticeably more than most competitors' scans return on the same test data. Most of those hits were old email addresses or partial matches rather than fresh, high-risk leaks, but reviewers noted a few were worth acting on immediately. It works quite fast as well: once I set it up, I started receiving alerts within hours.
Aura’s pricing
Aura offers three plans for users. The most basic one is priced at $10.00/month. Couple plan includes 2 adults and costs $18.00/month, while the aforementioned Family plan is $29.00/month.
4. Surfshark Alert – best cost-effective identity protection service
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $2.69/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes (7 days) |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $1M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Email monitoring, credit card monitoring, ID monitoring, online data leaks, malware attacks |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get up to 85% OFF Surfshark Alert + 3 months FREE |
Surfshark Alert is an affordable provider that mostly focuses on dark web monitoring. It tracks email, credit card, and ID information to identify potential exposures and then issues alerts. The highest-tier plan includes identity theft insurance coverage up to $1M, which falls short of some of the other premium providers, such as Norto Lifelock with $3M. Additionally, because Surfshark Alert doesn’t offer traditional ID theft protection, it lacks key features such as bureau-based credit monitoring, bank account monitoring, and dedicated case management.
Alert feature is good for building awareness
Surfshark Alert’s internet monitoring looks for various breaches, including passwords, credit card information, and emails. According to independent testing, email monitoring detected even older breaches, which allows users to build awareness of their digital situation. The monitoring works through real-time alert system, and if Surfshark Alert is on the lookout for a large number of emails or other details, the alerts may feel spammy.
Checks an unlimited number of email addresses
While not groundbreaking, Surfshark Alert’s monitoring feature supports an unlimited number of emails and IDs. During testing, I noticed I could add my own and friends’ email addresses to see if there have been any breaches. But the system doesn’t monitor for breaches at all times, like with Coveron with 24/7 check. Surfshark Alert periodically scans the web for leaks and official announcements to see whether your information has been compromised, and this creates a delay between a breach and you being notified about it.
Surfshark Alert’s pricing
Surfshark Alert is one of the most affordable ITP tools on the market, but you can’t purchase it as a standalone service – it only comes bundled with a VPN. You can get Surfshark Alert when you purchase the Surfshark One plan for $2.69/month, or Surfshark One+ with a starting price of $4.49/month.
5. Guardio – best for phishing attack prevention
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $9.99/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes (via the free version) |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ❌ No |
| Insurance: | ❌ No |
| Built-in protection tools: | Browser extension that blocks phishing sites, scam stores, and malicious downloads, malicious-extension detector, SMS/text scam filtering (iOS) |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get Guardio, starting at $9.99/month |
Guardio focuses on proactive online threat protection with dark web monitoring, phishing and scam blocking, malicious extension detection, and real-time alerts, all through an easy-to-use interface that protects multiple devices. Its standout strength is AI-powered scam prevention, including proactive outreach from security experts in high-risk situations. However, it does not offer credit monitoring, has limited browser support, and should be used alongside traditional antivirus software.
Blocks malicious URLs
Together with the Cybernews research team, I tested Guardio against 10 real malicious pages in a controlled VM environment, to see how it performs during a simulated real-time browsing. Guardio met my expectations, blocking all of the malicious pages before they loaded. The scam websites couldn’t even fully render before Guardio cut off the connection at the browser level. There was one instance when an URL used a delayed redirect and slipped through Guardio’s initial detection, but it was swirftly flagged by the system before I could interact with the harmful page.
Good starting point for inexperienced users
I found Guardio easy to install and use. It has a clean-looking UI, making it a convenient choice for new and inexperienced users. However, despite all its online protection tools, it is not a replacement for an actual antivirus. While Guardio can monitor for suspicious websites and warn about potential malicious content, it’s not enough to protect your device from threats like malware. It’s also a lackluster ITP tool, because it doesn’t offer credit monitoring or insurance.
Guardio’s pricing
Guardio’s most basic plan can be acquired for free, which provides basic browser protection. Identity protection starts with $9.99/month per member. It protects 1 person, and you will receive leak alerts. With the Duo plan for $183.90/month per member, you can protect up to 2 people, with the number jumping to 5 with the Family plan, priced at $279.90/month per member.
6. Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection – best for comprehensive identity monitoring
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $7.49/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $2M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Smart SSN tracker, court records monitoring, sex offender registry monitoring, medical ID fraud protection, lost wallet protection |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Get up to 30% OFF Bitdefender! |
Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection app offers extensive identity monitoring for the US customers, with up to $2M in identity theft insurance on its Premium plan. Its Standard plan offers a comprehensive monitoring and easy-to-use dashboard, but many of its most valuable features, including three-bureau credit monitoring, advanced public record monitoring, and cyberattack reimbursement, are locked behind the Premium tier.
Unique monitoring set-up
What I liked the most about Bitdefender ITP was the scope of monitoring it offers. You can set up alerts for court records, sex offender registry, and fraudulent activity involving medical IDs. This greatly broadens the protection and sets it apart from the traditional SSN-only monitoring. Combined with the generous higher-tier insurance coverage up to $2M, Bitdefender offers one of the most comprehensive tools for broad protection.
A setback with data broker sites
However, while Bitdefender does offer a very broad monitoring system, in some cases it serves as a generic reminder rather than an actual protection. According to an independent testing data, which ran Bitdefender ITP against 8 data brokers, the system can only flag that your information is in data broker’s hands, and no actual removal option is available. Bitdefender states that it can’t legally access personal data on the user’s behalf, but it seems like a flimsy excuse when there are other providers on this list, such as Aura or Incogni, that offer the data removal option as part of their packages.
Bitdefender’s pricing
Bitdefender ITP tool comes with two plans. Standard starts at $7.49/month, offering the basic but fundamental protection suite, while the Premium plan is priced at $11.99/month and comes with advanced features, such as ransomware reimbursement or credit check from all 3 bureaus.
7. Incogni – best for removing exposed identity data
| Rating: | |
| Price: | $7.19/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No |
| Dark web monitoring: | ❌ No |
| Credit monitoring: | ❌ No |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $1M for New York and Washington residents only) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Automated removal requests to 420+ data brokers and people-search sites, unlimited plan adds custom removal requests for 2,000–3,000+ additional sites/URLs a user submits |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | Special deal! Get Incogni with 55% OFF with code: CNDEAL |
Incogni specializes in automated data broker removal, helping users remove personal information from hundreds of data broker sites with the help of an independently audited service. While it excels at privacy protection with broad broker coverage and ongoing removals, Incogni’s core service doesn’t include dark web monitoring, credit monitoring, or identity theft insurance, making it an addition rather than a replacement for a full identity protection service.
Fast data removal
With the Cybernews team, I tested Incogni’s data removal feature for over 10 months, and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the system works. I started with 40 initial requests, and by the end of the first month, the majority of those requests were completed, which is an above-average result. Within the first week, I sent out 49 requests and 32 of them were completed, giving Icogni a completion rate of around 65%. This is significant because early-stage data removal processes often take longer due to manual processing and the fact that brokers have 30–45 days to respond. During the final testing month, it completed 101 requests in total.
Bundled with Coveron
Incogni has a partnership with Coveron, offering a plan that combines Incogni’s data removal and Coveron’s ITP tools. This includes traditional identity protection features, like dark web monitoring or financial insurance. But keep in mind that this all-in-one plan doesn’t have much customization, offering a mix between Incogni’s Unlimited and Coveron’s Individual plans. It covers the fundamental protection needs, but you cannot increase or decrease the tier of Coveron’s or Incogni’s plans.
Incogni's pricing
Incogni’s plans start at $7.19/month for the Standard plan, rising to $13.49/month for the Unlimited plan. And if you want to cover more than one person, you can choose a family plan for $14.39/month that includes up to 5 people. For $20.69/month, you can get a Family Unlimited plan. US-only users can also take advantage of $20.74/month for a joint plan between Incogni and Coveron.
8. Avast Secure Identity – best for all-in-one identity and device security
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Price: | $6.99/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No |
| Dark web monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Credit monitoring: | ✅ Yes |
| Insurance: | ✅ Yes (up to $1M) |
| Built-in protection tools: | Social media account monitoring, financial/transaction monitoring for suspicious bank or card activity, 24/7 identity restoration specialists |
| Alerts: | ✅ Yes |
| Special deal: | - |
Avast Secure Identity provides comprehensive identity protection with continuous dark web, social media, financial, and credit monitoring. It also offers real-time alerts and up to $1M in identity theft insurance. Avast provides 24/7 identity restoration support, but some features are region-locked.
Access from a clear and simple dashboard
Avast Secure Identity offers a broad monitoring scope and covers the dark web, social media, and financial transactions. It’s all available from a single, easy-to-navigate dashboard. The monitoring service works hand in hand with professional support that can advise you on issues and handle mediation calls. That said, the protection that Avast offers is the traditional service with little innovation.
Region locks for features
It’s not unusual for ID theft protection services to be locked for certain regions only. However, Avast’s ITP tool is not only limited to the US users (due to the SSN requirement), but it also has region locks on certain features and insurance terms that apply in the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, which are excluded from the baseline US plan.
Avast Secure Identity’s pricing
Avast offers a single plan, which can be paid for monthly, yearly or a 2-year period. The cheapest price is $6.99/month for a 2-year subscription, while a monthly subscription costs $9.99/month.
Other honorable mentions
While they didn’t make it to the list, here are some ITP tools that are still worth attention, even if I cannot recommend them as a real alternative to the ones listed above.
DeleteMe
Much like Incogni, DeleteMe is meant to serve as a supplementary tool to your data protection rather than a traditional ITP system. Unfortunately, it falls behind Incogni for its mostly manual approach. Our testing found that while DeleteMe advertises it can remove data from 850+ brokers, most need you to manually fill out custom requests. Automated removal works on 180 data brokers only, which is only a half of Incogni’s 420+.
Credit Karma
Credit Karma is a dedicated tool for credit monitoring. It doesn’t provide extensive identity theft insurance, nor can you monitor bank accounts, credit cards or investment activity. That said, the credit monitoring is provided for free, so it’s a great starting point if you want to slowly lean into ITP systems. But keep in mind that it’s not a reliable substitute for premium protection services.
Identity Guard
During the testing process, I noticed that Identity Guard, while offering ID theft protection, doesn’t provide a comprehensive and encompassing plan for the users. The first two plan tiers lack fundamental features, such as credit monitoring in the Value plan or investment account data in the Total plan. The important ITP features are only included in the most expensive Ultra plan, but it’s more pricey than some of the other premium plans on this list.
How does identity theft protection work?
Essentially, fraud identity theft protection apps safeguard your personal data, including SSN or passport details, emails and passwords, credit card information, or even loan monitoring. These tools are set in place to periodically scan the internet and various released documents and statements, looking to see if your information appears anywhere. If so, they will alert you so you can take further action.
For example, ITP tools can monitor your bank account, and if someone tries to access it or take out a loan in your name, these tools will catch the attempt and let you know right away. What’s more, most of these monitoring services are automatic, so you don’t have to manually scour the internet for your information.
Any data that you enter online could potentially be leaked. ITP tools are a layer of security that keeps this information from falling into the wrong hands. And sometimes these systems have additional features that help people affected by data leaks or stolen data. If your data was stolen and you need to solve it via legal means or are suffering from lost wages, certain ITP tools, like Coveron or Norton Lifelock, have insurance for identity theft that will make the whole ordeal less daunting.
Is identity protection worth getting?
Yes. ITP tools are a great way to protect yourself if you’re very active online. For example, if you make a lot of purchases online or provide your email address to various sites. Even the legitimate and trustworthy platforms and systems can be hacked or have their data leaked. Through no fault of your own, your personal data can be sold to a third party and used to take out loans or make fraudulent purchases.
Let’s say you’re using an online shopping service, and their database was compromised. This might lead to your credit card details being stolen, and that information might then be used to make unauthorized purchases in your name. Identity theft protection tips and checks would have caught the leak and alerted you about it, and, in some cases, would also mark your credit card as compromised so you can take action. This saves you time and money, literally, since the auto detection and alert system works faster than a manual search.
How much is identity theft protection?
When considering what are the best identity theft protection services, price can’t be overlooked. It should surprise no one that premium tools offer more features but are more expensive, while free identity theft protection options or cheaper plans often have reduced benefits. Cheaper plans often have the most basic protection tools and are limited in availability; for example, you would get a credit check in 1 of the major bureaus instead of all 3. On the other hand, more expensive plans offer additional features that might go beyond identity protection, such as a VPN service or data removal service.
Here’s an example of how providers’ plans change in price and offered benefits:
| Category | Provider and plan | Price/month | Credit bureaus monitored | Insurance coverage | What's included |
| Cheapest | Surfshark Alert (Surfshark One) | $2.69/month | None | None | Breach/leak alerts only – no credit monitoring, no insurance |
| Cheapest | Coveron Starter | $2.84/month | 1 bureau | $10K | Dark web monitoring, basic alerts |
| Cheapest | Coveron Full Protection | $8.54/month | 1 bureau | $2M | Adds NordVPN, malware protection, and Incogni data removal |
| Mid-range | Aura Individual | $10.00/month | 3 bureaus | $1M | VPN, antivirus, and password manager |
| Mid-range | Norton LifeLock Advanced | $16.67/month | 2 bureaus | $100K | Adds scam reimbursement |
| Most expensive | Aura Family | $29.00/month | 3 bureaus per adult | $1M per adult | Parental controls, VPN, antivirus, and password manager for the whole household |
| Most expensive | Norton LifeLock Total | $29.17/month | 3 bureaus | $3M | Investment account monitoring, highest insurance ceiling in this comparison |
Final thoughts
Choosing the right ITP service means evaluating whether you want a focused tool or prefer a broad mix of features that touch upon all the issues. The question of cost also can’t be ignored, especially when compared to what you get for your money.
Here’s a quick, summarized guide to top premium providers, so you can make a decision that best matches your needs:
- Best overall, with the broadest feature set – Coveron
- Best for in-depth credit monitoring and highest insurance ceiling – Norton LifeLock
- Best for families and kids – Aura
- Cheapest option if you already use a VPN – Surfshark Alert
- Best for proactive scam and phishing protection – Guardio
- Best for comprehensive, wide-ranging monitoring – Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection
- Best for removing exposed personal data – Incogni
- Best all-in-one identity and device security bundle – Avast Secure Identity
FAQ
What is the best identity theft protection?
The best service depends on your priorities and is very subjective. If you want broad protection, Coveron is a good choice. For multi-person protection, Aura’s plans should work for you. And if you’d like to have supplementary protection, Surfshark Alert or Guardio may suit you better than a full-service provider.
Should I get identity theft protection?
Yes. It's worth considering if you shop online frequently, have your personal information stored across many accounts, or want peace of mind in case a company you use suffers a data breach. Identity protection services can't stop identity theft from happening, but they can catch it early and limit the damage.
How to get identity theft protection?
Start by deciding what matters most to you: number of credit bureaus monitored, insurance coverage amount, family or individual coverage, and any bundled extras like a VPN or password manager. Once you choose a provider and a plan, sign up on the provider’s website.
