Online crimes are much more common around us than you usually notice. There has been a monumental shift towards an online work culture in recent times because of the pandemic. More people are using the internet than ever before, including those with little to no information about online crimes. As expected, criminals are scamming people at an alarming rate. The FBI reported a whopping 300% increase in cybercrimes in the US since the start of the pandemic. Google saw an average of 18 million malware and phishing emails with 240 million spam emails every day in recent times. Phishing attacks, online identity thefts, and data breaches are common today, with more sophisticated attacking methods being discovered every day.
What does your online identity mean?
If you are an avid internet user, you probably have lost count of the number of times you had to enter your name, age, or email address while visiting a website. Other than the information you voluntarily enter online, activity trackers and behavior monitors add to your personal information. All of these combined contribute to forming your online identity. The sheer amount of information about an avid internet user available online is enough to surprise you. Tech giants like Google have your likes, and dislikes, the places you often visit, the people you talk to, and much more stored as a part of your online identity. Usually, companies use this information to show personalized ads and find prospective customers. Other than this, data analysts use this data to create valuable insights for their enterprise and strengthen their marketing strategy.
What happens when your online identity gets stolen?
Tech companies find new ways to get more information about you. You can face extreme consequences once this information gets stolen through a personalized attack or in case of a data breach. Scammers can then use this information to steal your money or commit crimes under your name. Some other standard practices after an identity theft include:
Making purchases using your debit card/credit card credentials.Issuing new credit cards using your personal information.Using your Social Security number to file a tax return and claim refunds.Making use of your health insurance to claim medical assistance.Using your identity and financial standings to pass an employment background check or rent a property.
These activities can result in financial as well as emotional turmoil in many cases. Moreover, personalized identity thefts can have much more significant consequences. Scammers can ask for your ransom for your confidential information or sell this information online. Protecting your online identity is more important than ever in the internet-savvy world.
How to protect your online identity?
Protecting your online identity is becoming more challenging as criminals constantly develop ways to get through modern security parameters. Some common ways by which scammers steal your online identity include dumpster diving, phishing, skimming, Wi-Fi Hacking, Phone Scams, Data breaches, Malware, Mail theft, and more. You can use some basic security measures like using strong passwords or keeping your financial credentials confidential, but these methods are nowhere close to providing complete identity threat protection.
Other common ways of online identity protection include:
Shred your physical documents that may contain your confidential credentials.Make sure to never upload your documents like Birth Certificates, Income Certificates, and Bank related documents, etc., on spooky websites.Use stronger passwords and make sure they are different on every website you visit. Also, include numbers, special characters, and upper-case and lower-case symbols while creating a password.Never share your credentials with anyone you meet online. Scammers use various tactics like pretending to be a bank employee or a customer care executive. Remember, no reputable institution ever asks for your highly confidential details.Always use a lock on your devices. It is better to use biometric locks like fingerprints or face unlocks as they offer better security than passcodes.
Sophisticated malware can enter your devices as soon as you click on malicious websites which are present all over the internet. Sometimes, you don’t even need to click on a malicious link; your Wi-Fi can spill out your online identity to scammers. The best way to protect yourself against online identity theft is using an advanced identity protector. The methods mentioned above are suitable for basic protection, but you can still get scammed unless you use an all-around identity protector.
What is an advanced identity protector?
An advanced identity protector is software that provides all-around protection against all-powerful scamming techniques. They are specially tailored to stop malware, alert you while visiting phishing websites, alert you against scam calls, and provide total security. Most of the stolen online identities get exchanged on the dark web. Advanced identity protectors scan the dark web for your information and alert you if a breach is confirmed. The best part about an identity protector is that it makes sure you never have to worry about your online identity while surfing the internet. There is a plethora of excellent identity threat protection software that comes with varied feature sets. Let’s look at the best identity protectors and the perks of using them.
McAfee
You can anticipate McAfee’s level of security as they provide a $1M Identity Theft insurance with their premium plan. McAfee’s identity protection tool is easy to use while ensuring you get every protective feature to secure your online identity. Every identity theft plan comes with multi-device support, internet firewall, real-time virus protection, a password manager, PC optimizer, and more. Besides these handy features, you also get expert security support to guide you through any technical difficulties you face with the service. The identity protection service is entirely cloud-based, but you will have to download McAfee’s tools to enjoy the additional features with your plan. The Protection Score is a great feature that you get with the feature; it shows you the level of security your accounts enjoy in the online world. You also get a VPN service that comes with a 500 MB data cap on their basic and plus plans. The ultimate plan comes with an unlimited VPN alongside support for unlimited devices.
F-Secure
Remembering passwords is getting tougher with the introduction of newer services online. Most people tend to use similar passwords for most of their services which is a massive blunder if protecting your online identity is your goal. A hacker can get access to every online service you use if they crack one of your passwords, making the situation almost undoable. F-Secure is a powerful online tool that combines a password managing service and an advanced identity protector and presents it to you as a complete package. The password manager gives you the option to create strong passwords for you while also storing them in their database. F-Secure then uses these passwords and your email accounts to look for online identity thefts while scanning the internet in real time. It later pushes alerts and notifications when there is an attempt to steal your online identity. The service also makes sure you stay protected by preventing data breaches from turning into potential identity thefts. The process of activating the protection is extremely user-friendly; you just need to enter your email addresses, and F-Secure does the rest. You can test their service with a five days free trial and then make your mind about choosing the identity protection service.
Life Lock
Life Lock is essentially insurance for your online identity combined with a highly efficient identity protection service. You get all the perks of having an identity protection service by your side, but without the risk of losing your assets in case, there is identity theft. The service is user-friendly and straightforward; you can enroll for the protection in minutes by entering your email address, and that’s all. Life Lock scans the entire internet searching for vulnerabilities or stolen information and alerts you if they find anything that should bother you. They send alerts through text, email, phone, and mobile applications to make sure you know about the potential risks as soon as possible. You also get the VPN service with Life Lock, which makes sure your information has an extra layer of masking while you surf through the internet. If you unfortunately ever go through online identity theft, Life Lock executives will make sure to guide you through the process of retrieving your identity. Their ultimate plan comes with a whopping $ 1 million as their upper limit to your losses. Life Lock also reimburses funds up to the limit of your plan while you retrieve your identity.
PC Matic
PC Matic’s identity protection comes with a long list of features that are hard to find in other competitive products. The Dark Web Monitoring tool is a free add-on with the full Family Identity Theft Protection Plan from PC Matic. The combined security system protects necessary credentials like Social Security numbers, Bank Account Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, Debit Card numbers, and a lot more and scans for them on the Dark Web along with the surface internet. Remember, most of the illicit transactions involving your online identity take place on the Dark Web. The Email monitoring system from PC Matic is swift and notifies you as soon as the service finds any threats to your online identity. With their family threat protection service, you also get a credit simulator and a fully managed white-glove restoration for up to $1M. The 24*7 US-based customer service from PC Matic is responsive and guides you through the entire process of retrieving your data if there’s a security breach. Stolen funds reimbursements and excellent coverage make sure you browse the internet carefree with the online identity protection service in its place.
Experian
Experian gives you efficient identity theft monitoring with swift alerts, dark web surveillance, and many features in their identity theft protection plan. You also get a 3 Bureau FICO Score and Credit Score Monitoring that lets you keep track of any suspicious activity related to your finances. Experian provides a fraud cover of $1M with their ID theft insurance included in their identity theft plan. Locking your credit file gets tricky, especially when you have multiple access points to your finances. The Experian Credit Lock is an outstanding feature that lets you lock or unlock your credit file with a single tap on your screen. It also blocks unauthorized access to your credit file and gives you real-time alerts if someone tries to break into your credit file. Besides all the excellent features, the advanced identity protector features a dedicated fraud resolution support team trained specially to handle fraud-related scenarios. The team makes sure to stay with the victim in every step of their post-fraud journey.
Identity Force
Monitor, Alert, Control, and Recover are the four pillars of Identity Force’s Identity theft protection tool. Identity Force continuously monitors the internet with their innovative and proactive technologies to track the use of your credentials on illicit websites or transactions. You can add your personal, financial, and credit details as your confidential details, and the protection tool does the rest. The notification system is swift and lets you know about any alerts or warnings in real time. You receive the notifications on your smartphone, tablet, and your desktop computer so that you can quickly act in response to them. You can track the entire activity of your online information through the service and protect your keystrokes, PIN numbers, and other confidential information. The 24*7 recovery team is one of the most efficient helplines in the identity protection industry. The team takes care of the paperwork, makes calls, and handles every detail to recover your damage. The $1M fraud cover is another feature to make you feel safe while browsing the internet.
Identity Guard
Identity Guard monitors all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) in real-time for relevant credit information changes and helps take remedial action in time. Powered with IBM, it constantly sweeps the dark web for your credentials like social security numbers, driver’s licenses, credit/debit card information, passport numbers, email addresses, etc. In case of any leak or fraud, Identity Theft will assist you with a personal case manager to file reports throughout the credit bureaus and help recover losses. Finally, every Identity Guard subscription covers you with a $1M insurance policy against lost funds.
Final Note 👨🏫
Online identity protection is exceptionally crucial in a fast-paced online world with an ever-growing rate of identity theft. While you can follow basic precautions like having a strong password and not sharing your personal details with strangers, these precautions fall short in front of modern scams. It is best to use an advanced identity protector tool to make sure you stay safe and carefree while browsing the internet. Many identity protectors on this list also come with fraud insurance, ensuring you never incur a financial loss while online. Next, you may check out the best two-factor authentication apps to protect your email and social media accounts.
