Is Identity Guard the guardian angel of your digital identity or just another player in the crowded world of identity protection? Identity theft protection is a crucial service that safeguards your personal information from being stolen and misused by cybercriminals. In today's digital age, the risk of identity theft is higher than ever, making it essential to have robust defenses in place.
In this Identity Guard review, we cut through the marketing noise to share our experience – how it works, what it monitors, and what real value it offers. We will delve into the specifics of identity theft protection, explaining why you need it and how Identity Guard aims to provide it. Our thorough analysis is designed to help you understand if Identity Guard’s defenses are strong enough to justify the investment, or if your search for reliable identity theft protection should continue.
| Website | IdentityGuard.com |
| Core identity protection features | 1-bureau or 3-bureau credit monitoring with reports, dark web surveillance, $1M identity theft insurance, restoration and recovery services |
| Pricing | $6.67 – $23.99/month |
| Money-back guarantee | 60 days |
| 24/7 customer support | Yes (for identity theft emergencies) |
| Best deal | 40% Off Coupon > |
Key takeaways from testing Identity Guard
- Identity Guard provides comprehensive identity theft protection with innovative technology such as IBM Watson AI, offering extensive account monitoring, $1 million insurance coverage, and a user-friendly dashboard.
- The service comes with important security extras, including a password manager, safe browsing feature, and two-factor authentication login, alongside essential core features like credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, and high-risk transaction alerts.
- Identity Guard’s offerings range from basic to comprehensive protection across multiple plans, catering to different security needs and budgets, but lacks some features like virtual private network (VPN) service, and the mobile app has certain limitations.
- Check out Identity Guard's best deals here to ensure your digital identity is protected at the most competitive rates.
First, let's examine the strengths and weaknesses of using Identity Guard.
Identity Guard pros and cons
Just like Aura and LifeLock, Identity Guard comes with both Pros and Cons:
+ Pros
$1 million in identity theft insurance on all plans
AI-powered identity monitoring
Extra alerts are helpful
Simple-to-understand, upfront pricing
US-based customer support
Comprehensive individual or family coverage
Password managers included in all plans
Family plan protects an unlimited number of children
Budget-friendly basic plan
Predictive risk management score
– Cons
Pricey high-tier plan
Monthly credit score or credit card monitoring requires a more expensive plan
Limited cybersecurity tools
Identity Guard identity theft protection features overview
Unveiling its arsenal, Identity Guard offers a panoply of features designed to shield against the specter of identity theft. Let’s take a closer look at the impressive suite of features that Identity Guard offers:
Credit monitoring – Vigilant monitoring of credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to identify suspicious changes that could signal fraud.
Dark web surveillance – Searches through the hidden corners of the internet to detect if your personal information is being traded or misused.
High-risk transaction alerts – Acts as an early warning system, notifying you of suspicious financial activities.
Insurance and resolution services – Provides a bulwark, ensuring financial recuperation and expert guidance in the event of identity theft.
Password manager – Fortifies your online vaults by managing and securing your passwords, included with all plans.
Social media account monitoring – Guards your digital reputation by keeping an eagle eye on your social channels for any unusual activities.
Safe browsing feature – Steers you clear of phishing nets and treacherous websites, ensuring your online journey is secure.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) login – Adds an extra layer of defense, requiring a second form of verification to access your accounts.
Family plan protection – Covers an unlimited number of children, ensuring comprehensive protection for your entire family.
Predictive risk management score – Offers insights into your risk level, helping you take proactive measures to secure your identity.
See all Identity Guard features here >
These features, collectively, form a robust phalanx against the advancing threats in the digital arena. We felt well-protected and informed about our digital security with Identity Guard.
What is Identity Guard and how does it work?
Identity Guard is not merely a service – it’s a sophisticated apparatus that harnesses the cognitive prowess of IBM Watson AI, casting a vigilant gaze over your personal, bank, investment, and social media accounts. This digital sentinel operates ceaselessly, sifting through vast swathes of data, ready to dispatch data breach notifications at the slightest hint of suspicious activity.
Notably, every Identity Guard plan includes $1 million in identity theft insurance, providing financial reimbursement for covered losses due to identity fraud or theft.
Company background: Can we trust Identity Guard?
Since its inception in 1996, Identity Guard has stood as a bastion in the identity theft protection services landscape, now under the aegis of Aura. With a pedigree that spans decades, it’s earned its stripes and the trust of its clientele through an unwavering commitment to safeguarding digital identities.
The question isn’t just “Can we trust Identity Guard?” – it’s whether we can afford not to have such a seasoned veteran guarding our personal information in today’s digitally fraught environment.
Core Features: What do you get with Identity Guard?
Peering into the heart of Identity Guard, we discern the core features that form the bedrock of its identity protection service. From credit monitoring and reporting that vigilantly tracks changes in your financial activities, to dark web surveillance that searches the internet for traces of your personal data.
These core offerings are the pillars that uphold your digital security.
Credit monitoring and reporting
Monitoring your credit reports and your score is crucial for identity protection. Two out of three Identity Guard plans include monitoring for all three credit bureaus, alerting you to early signs of fraud.
The “Ultra” plan notifies you of suspicious activities via email, text, or phone, allowing quick action to protect your financial information. Meanwhile, the cheapest plan, “Value” doesn’t offer it at all, while the “Total plan” offers daily monitoring and credit score updates but no credit reports.
The “Ultra” plan includes:
Monitoring of credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to track changes to your credit reports
Monthly credit score updates based on our Equifax credit file
Experian credit lock
Three-bureau annual credit report
Compared to other services, we noticed that Identity Guard’s Value plan lacks credit monitoring, which even some basic plans from competitors like LifeLock offer. This might make Identity Guard less appealing if you want credit protection on a budget.
Dark web surveillance
Identity Guard's dark web surveillance is like a periscope into the digital underworld, alerting you to leaks of your personal information. This feature helps keep your digital identity safe from the dark web's threats.
Identity Guard’s monitoring scans these hidden corners 24/7, protecting your personal information – like social security numbers (SSNs), credit card details, and health insurance IDs. If your data is detected on the dark web, you receive detailed alerts and advice on actions like changing passwords or securing accounts.
All Identity Guard plans include dark web monitoring, data breach notifications, and high-risk transaction alerts. Powered by IBM Watson, their AI scans black market websites, secret chat rooms, and underground forums to protect your sensitive information. This vigilance provides peace of mind, knowing your digital identity is constantly monitored.
By leveraging advanced AI and maintaining constant surveillance, Identity Guard fortifies your defenses against identity theft, ensuring your personal information remains protected from cybercriminals.
Insurance and resolution services
If identity theft strikes, Identity Guard’s insurance and resolution services are there to help you recover without financial loss. All plans offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, covering legal fees, lost wages, and other expenses related to reclaiming your identity.
Now, they don't just hand you a $1 million check. You need to show proof of your expenses and the identity theft. Reimbursement is based on actual losses, so you’ll need to provide documentation like legal bills, receipts for childcare, or proof of lost wages.
The insurance policy covers a lot – legal costs, missed work, childcare, and direct financial losses from identity theft, all within the $1 million limit. Unlike some services that offer an additional $1 million for direct financial losses, Identity Guard’s coverage includes all related expenses within the total $1 million cap.
For added convenience, the “Ultra” plan features white glove fraud resolution services. If your identity is stolen, an account specialist handles most of the recovery work, providing significant relief during a stressful time.
Alert system for high-risk transactions
Identity Guard’s high-risk transaction monitoring is like having a vigilant lookout for your finances, alerting you to any unauthorized activity. You can tailor the types of alerts you receive and choose how you’re notified – whether by real-time text alerts or email. This flexibility keeps you informed no matter where you are.
The desktop app and browser extension also add peace of mind, knowing our digital activities are protected.
Identity Guard’s security extras
Beyond the core features, Identity Guard offers additional security enhancements for a well-rounded digital defense.
Password manager (with all plans)
In the digital age, having a strong password is essential. With Identity Guard’s password manager included in all plans, managing and securing your passwords is a breeze. This tool acts as a master key to your digital life, simplifying password management while boosting your security against cyber threats.
Using the password manager, you can generate complex, unique passwords for each account, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access. It’s convenient to have all your passwords in one encrypted vault, meaning you only need to remember one master password. The password manager can also autofill your credentials on websites, saving you time and ensuring you always use the correct login details.
Since standalone password managers usually cost a couple of dollars a month, this feature adds extra value to your Identity Guard subscription.
Social media account monitoring
We’ve found Identity Guard’s social media monitoring pretty useful. Identity Guard monitors several of your social media accounts for unusual activity. When you provide access, it watches for hacks, scams, and inappropriate posts attributed to you. This proactive monitoring alerts you if you share personal and financial information with potentially fraudulent users, helping to prevent identity theft.
You can monitor up to five different social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. By giving Identity Guard access to these accounts, any suspicious activity will be promptly flagged, allowing you to take immediate action to protect your digital identity.
Safe browsing feature
As subscribers, we activated the Safe Browsing extension by installing it, clicking the shield icon, and logging in with our Identity Guard credentials. It offers solid protection by guarding against phishing attacks, upgrading insecure connections to HTTPS, and blocking ads and malvertisements for a faster, cleaner browsing experience. It also blocks Flash content to prevent malware and deletes trackers that monitor your online behavior.
Plus, the social privacy manager helps secure your social media accounts, while the privacy checker lets you remove personal information from people search sites.
2FA login
With Identity Guard, a two-factor authentication (2FA) login is like having a friendly bouncer at the door of your digital accounts. This extra step makes sure that only you can get in, adding another layer of security that makes us feel more at ease. It's a simple yet powerful way to keep our personal information safe from those pesky cyber pirates.
These features, collectively, form a strong defense against the threats of identity theft. However, Identity Guard falls short on additional security features compared to some of its competitors.
See all Identity Guard features here >
Ease of use: Is Identity Guard user-friendly?
Identity Guard is easy to use with a simple and intuitive interface. From setup to daily use, the dashboard makes protecting your information straightforward.
User interface and initial setup
Starting with Identity Guard is super easy. The user interface is friendly and guides you through the setup smoothly. After picking your plan, you create a password and enter your email, name, address, phone number, date of birth, and SSN. We appreciated the helpful popups explaining why certain information is needed, which is great if you’re new to this.
You’ll need to provide a payment method during signup, and once you do, your account is set up in under a minute. You then log in with your email and password to start using the service. The first-time login offers a quick overview of how everything works, which you can skip if you’re already familiar with ID theft protection services. No downloads are necessary since Identity Guard runs in your browser as cloud-based software.
We found the dashboard very user-friendly. It gives a clear overview of your digital security status and makes it easy to navigate through various features.
Desktop and mobile apps
Whether on your desktop or using the mobile app, Identity Guard keeps your digital security in check. We’ve found the desktop version especially helpful for getting a comprehensive view of our security landscape, making it easy to manage and monitor our identity protection.
It’s user-friendly, with clickable icons and drop-down menus that make it easy to find what you need. The top menu includes sections like “Dashboard”, “Alerts”, “Watchlist”, “Credit”, “Financial”, “Privacy”, and “Resources”. You can also easily access account settings, get help, and sign out.
The dashboard itself offers quick access to popular tools like alerts, monthly credit score, credit reports and scores, home title monitoring, transaction monitoring, security freeze, and so on. Everything is laid out clearly, so it’s easy to find and use the tools you need.
For mobile use, Identity Guard offers apps for both Android and iOS. These are great for quick checks and receiving alerts. While the mobile app is handy for on-the-go monitoring, we find the desktop version essential for in-depth management.
Cancellation process: What you need to know
Canceling Identity Guard was pretty straightforward for us. Here’s how we did it:
Online cancellation:
- We went to “My Account” at the top right of the dashboard.
- Then click on “Billing & Subscription” on the left side.
Finally, click the “Cancel Plan” button to start the process.
Phone cancellation is also an option. You can call customer service at 1-877-751-5899 to cancel.
Your subscription stays active until the end of the current period, and there are no refunds for unused time. We didn’t face any issues, but some users have reported continued charges after canceling.
Customer support: What sort of help do you get with Identity Guard?
You can reach Identity Guard’s customer support via phone at 1-833-692-2187 or email at customercare@identityguard.com. When we tested their service, we quickly got through to a helpful, friendly representative without any hassle.
The customer service number is easy to find, displayed on almost every screen. It's available during normal business hours from Monday through Saturday and on weekday evenings, though they're closed on Sundays. While there’s no live chat, you can call or email for assistance.
For identity theft emergencies, Identity Guard offers 24/7 access to a live representative, ensuring you receive support whenever you need it most.
Plans and pricing: Is Identity Guard worth your money?
Anchoring down on the specifics, Identity Guard’s plans are a flotilla of options, each tailored to navigate different extents of the identity protection sea.
The service offers several individual plans, including:
- Value: At $6.67 per month this plan includes basic identity theft protection, including dark web surveillance and high-risk transaction alerts.
- Total: Priced at $16.67 per month, this plan offers comprehensive protection, including credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, high-risk transaction alerts, and social media account monitoring.
- Ultra: At $25.00 per month, this top-tier plan provides the most extensive coverage. It includes all features from the “Total” plan plus enhanced fraud resolution services and regular credit score updates.
If you're looking for family-focused protection, Identity Guard offers plans ranging from $10 to $23.99 per month, covering up to five adults and an unlimited number of children. Check out Identity Guard's family plans here to ensure comprehensive coverage for your entire household.
Identity Guard offers a variety of pricing tiers, making it easier to find something that fits your budget. We found their lowest-priced tier to be one of the most affordable among ID theft protection services, which is great for anyone looking to save some money.
We also appreciated their 60-day money-back guarantee for annual plans purchased through their website. It gave us peace of mind, knowing we could try the service risk-free and make sure it was the right fit for our digital security needs.
How secure and private is Identity Guard?
Privacy is super important in identity theft protection, so we wanted to make sure Identity Guard was up to the task. We checked out their privacy policy and data security features when we signed up and shared our sensitive info, expecting it to be well-protected.
Identity Guard uses strong security measures, like “military-grade encryption” – probably 256-bit AES, which is top-notch. They’re clear about not sharing your details with third parties unless necessary, like reporting scam calls to the FCC.
They do share some basic info, like your email and IP address, with partners and service providers, but that’s pretty standard for most websites. Identity Guard also uses advanced security protocols, regular audits, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to keep everything extra secure. These features make us feel confident in their ability to protect our digital identity.
How to get started with Identity Guard: A quick guide
Here’s a quick guide to get started with Identity Guard:
- Visit the Identity Guard's website here and choose a plan.
Sign up using your email to create an account.
Enter your payment information for continuous protection with auto-renewal.
Fill in your personal details and set a strong password.
Install the Identity Guard apps on your devices (Android and iOS) following the provided instructions.
Start monitoring by adding personal information like your name, SSN, and financial details.
Now, relax as Identity Guard begins monitoring, scanning for threats, and alerting you to any suspicious activity to keep your digital identity secure.
Alternatives: How does Identity Guard stack up against competitors?
In the vast sea of identity theft protection services, Identity Guard sails alongside competitors like Aura, LifeLock, and IDShield. Each offers unique features and pricing structures.
| Identity Guard | Aura | LifeLock | IDShield | |
| Pricing | $6.67 – $23.99/month | $9 – $25/month | $7.50 – $32.99/month | $14.95 – $34.95/month |
| Family-focused plans and features | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3-bureau credit monitoring and reports | 1-bureau or 3-bureau (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with top-tier plans | Yes (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with all plans | 1-bureau (Equifax) or 3-bureau (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with expensive plans | 1-bureau (TransUnion) and 3-bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with premium plans |
| Dark web monitoring and alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $1 million | Up to $1 million (up to $5 million with the family plan) | Up to $3 million | Up to $3 million |
| Credit lock | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Antivirus, VPN, and password manager | Password manager only | Yes | Antivirus and VPN (as an add-on for an extra fee) | Yes (via Trend Micro security suite) |
| Lost wallet remediation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best deal | 40% Off Coupon | 68% Off Coupon | 52% Off Coupon | N/A |
Identity Guard stands out with its AI-driven insights and user-friendly dashboard, while Aura includes device security for comprehensive digital protection. Meanwhile, LifeLock offers a VPN service and sex offender registry reports, adding extra layers of security. On the other hand, IdentityIQ provides additional credit monitoring tools, making it ideal for those focused on financial oversight.
In short, each service caters to different needs, allowing users to choose based on their specific security priorities.
Final thoughts: Is Identity Guard worth it?
Identity Guard offers a wide range of features, affordable pricing, and an easy-to-use dashboard, making it a strong choice for identity theft protection.
On the positive side, Identity Guard offers robust monitoring capabilities, AI-driven insights powered by IBM Watson, and substantial insurance coverage, ensuring that your digital identity sails in secure waters. We found the user-friendly interface and clear, upfront pricing particularly appealing, making it accessible and straightforward for users like us.
However, there are some drawbacks we noticed. The absence of certain security extras, such as a VPN service and more extensive cybersecurity tools, might give some pause. Additionally, the higher-tier plans can be pricey, and monthly credit score updates are only available on the more expensive plans.
For those seeking an alternative, we found that Aura presents a compelling option. Aura includes device security and a VPN service, providing more comprehensive digital protection. It also offers competitive pricing and a range of features that cater to various security needs, making it a worthy contender in the identity theft protection market.
Other identity theft protection reviews on RestorePrivacy:
- Aura Review
- Experian IdentityWorks Review
- IDShield Review
- LifeLock Review
- McAfee Review
- IdentityIQ Review
Identity Guard FAQ
What kind of monitoring does Identity Guard offer?
Identity Guard offers a comprehensive suite of monitoring services, including credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, high-risk transaction alerts, and social media account monitoring. Their AI-powered system, utilizing IBM Watson, scans for suspicious activity and provides detailed alerts to keep your personal information secure.
Can I cancel my Identity Guard subscription if I'm not satisfied?
Yes, you can cancel your Identity Guard subscription if you're not satisfied. The cancellation process is straightforward and can be done online through the “My Account” section or by contacting customer service at 1-877-751-5899.
Note that your subscription stays active until the end of the current period, and you won't get a refund for any unused time.
Which is better, Identity Guard or Aura?
While both Identity Guard and Aura offer robust identity theft protection services, Aura stands out as the superior choice for comprehensive digital protection. Aura includes device security and a VPN service, providing an all-encompassing shield for your online activities. Its competitive pricing and wide range of features make it a more attractive option for those looking to maximize their security.
On the other hand, Identity Guard's AI-driven insights and user-friendly dashboard are commendable, but Aura's additional features give it the edge for those prioritizing complete digital safety.
This Identity Guard review was last updated on July 21, 2024.
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