Serious Discussion Best Software For Identity Protection

[Digmor Crusher]

Companies are being hacked left and right with millions of their consumers personal information being leaked, and it will get worse. Many here are addicted installing a myriad of programs to protect their computers, but what about their information being leaked. That is probably a bigger risk because for the most part there is nothing you can do about it.

So how do we protect ourselves? Some AV's offer identity protection, there are separate programs that do the same, and there are the credit ratings bureaus offer protection as well. What is the best program, or method, at a affordable price, that will protect our data?

Its getting to the point now where I'm less worried about malware or getting hacked then my info being leaked because some slacker company won't do what it takes to protect my date. IMO its only a matter of time before every ones data is out there to be exploited.

 

[Bot]

There are several software options for identity protection, but three of the most recommended are Norton 360 with LifeLock, IdentityForce, and Experian IdentityWorks. All of them offer robust features like credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, and recovery services. The best one for you depends on your specific needs and budget. Also, remember no service can provide 100% protection, so it's crucial to practice good online habits like using strong, unique passwords and being cautious with sharing personal information.

 

[Brahman]

Companies are being hacked left and right with millions of their consumers personal information being leaked, and it will get worse. Many here are addicted installing a myriad of programs to protect their computers, but what about their information being leaked. That is probably a bigger risk because for the most part there is nothing you can do about it.

So how do we protect ourselves? Some AV's offer identity protection, there are separate programs that do the same, and there are the credit ratings bureaus offer protection as well. What is the best program, or method, at a affordable price, that will protect our data?

Its getting to the point now where I'm less worried about malware or getting hacked then my info being leaked because some slacker company won't do what it takes to protect my date. IMO its only a matter of time before every ones data is out there to be exploited.

Your private data is everywhere, it's impossible to protect everything, something or other will get exposed at times. You can only protect what's in your exclusive possession, not what others possess. So there is a limit to which security software can promise to give you. The best thing one can do is to reduce their data footprint, randomise what is given to social network and wherever possible do cash payments. Rather than a security software, brain.exe is a better choice in this regard, imho.

 

[nickstar1]

Believe it or not Mcafee scans a bunch of different things Norton does not they cover a very comprehensive amount of possible leaked data.

 

[SpiderWeb]

I use Mozilla Monitor (dark web email monitoring), Bitwarden (dark web password monitoring) and Credit Karma (any credit report warnings).

 

[TairikuOkami]

So how do we protect ourselves? Some AV's offer identity protection, there are separate programs that do the same, and there are the credit ratings bureaus offer protection as well. What is the best program, or method, at a affordable price, that will protect our data?

For the record there is not a single product that offers an identify protection per say. All current services merely try to mitigate risks caused by already leaked info.
You basically give them all your info and they monitor it for leaks. It is worth mentioning that some of those companies actually abused this info for identity fraud.
Identify theft protection definitely pays off, you get a piece of mind knowing that when your ID leaks, when not if, because it always does, you will get some coverage.

The Best Identity Theft Protection Services Of September 2024

Identity theft is becoming more complex, with scammers constantly updating their methods to steal personal information. If they manage to do so, they can pretend to be you to open new credit accounts, file taxes and engage in other illegal endeavors. Identity theft protection companies are one wa

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[Trident]

What these data protection offerings entail is insurance product (in case of money loss, we’ll recover x amount) and data leak checking (which is like a warning that your data has leaked). I find the McAfee leak checker to be the best, discovering many events that others, such as LifeLock did not.

I am unable to comment in services offered by credit bureaus or services like Aura.

In the UK we’ve also got CIFAS. It adds a note on your credit file that you’ve been a victim of fraud/ID theft and this causes all companies looking at your credit file, to perform additional verifications. It may reduce credit score.

 

[Moonhorse]

Almost every paid security suite comes nowadays with the id protection ( just dark web monitoring about breaches/leaks) so im using the one that is currently installed

Its not like i pay any attention to leaks, i just sometimes ( few times a year) check is my email or mobile number breached

Since i dont have social media, i have 2 email accounts nowadays, private phone number, i dont have internet access on my bank account ( i only have card and account but i dont do any purchases in internet because i cannot, i just buy stuff on internet with paysafecards. also i use password manager like bitwarden to check my passwords and use strong ones. Since i have every password in my bitwarden i can see where i am registered and where im not, i always remove my account from service i dont use.

Lastly i make sure my devices are up to date and frequently updated. Its not like im anonymous on internet and use vpn services or private os on mobile/ desktop but i kind of believe i have decent security/privacy currently achieved, sure there is much stuff to learn but i have will to learn

 

[trott3r]

Would the best id protection be not to install any anti virus software since all the files scanned are uploaded to their servers to check for malware?

I just use MSE

 

[ForgottenSeer 114834]

Identity protection software

It's ironic, because at the point it detects your information has been compromised, well, read that again.

The best method is to limit what you divulge and to use misleading information in cases where you can.

Create additional accounts in your Gmail with random names and use these for your websites and social media sites. Limit exposure of true information, lock these accounts down with authentication applications.

Use separate systems for your banking and credit cards than your social accounts. Segment the network of need be before doing so. Never use emails associated with your financial accounts for anything else.

I'm certain you are starting to get the picture here.

 

[Gangelo]

The sooner you will all understand that there is no privacy on the net, the sooner you will come to terms with it.
There is no proactive solution other than not to create accounts on shady sites with your real information.
Paid solutions only notify you after the leak so it is a waste of money (haveibeenpwned.com does the same thing for free).

Would the best id protection be not to install any anti virus software since all the files scanned are uploaded to their servers to check for malware?

I just use MSE

What do you think defender does when it's trying to analyze unknown files?

 

[cartaphilus]

For the US user the first step is to get your public info off the grid. Opt out from all those spokeo etc databases. There are only 4 main ones. Everything else is just a front to those 4.

You can do it manually or pay a service to do it for you.

 

[trott3r]

The sooner you will all understand that there is no privacy on the net, the sooner you will come to terms with it.
There is no proactive solution other than not to create accounts on shady sites with your real information.
Paid solutions only notify you after the leak so it is a waste of money (haveibeenpwned.com does the same thing for free).



What do you think defender does when it's trying to analyze unknown files?

send file samples automatically when further analysis is required. switched off

Yes MS does it so best to not have any third party do it as well.

 

[Gangelo]

send file samples automatically when further analysis is required. switched off

Yes MS does it so best to not have any third party do it as well.

Why would you disable an essential security component and cripple your system's security?
For me, getting infected is a much bigger concern than privacy.

 

[cartaphilus]

Why would you disable an essential security component and cripple your system's security?
For me, getting infected is a much bigger concern than privacy.

100%^ this

I have a co-worker who is all paranoid and privacy conscious about his PC and what companies can gleam from his system. Meanwhile I can reconstruct his whole pattern of life from his facebook page.

 

[Gangelo]

I will never understand privacy freaks.. They spend all day preaching against MS & Google 'spyware' while they are using social media & smartphones, gutting Windows components with shady scripts and then complaining that the system crashed after an update (blaming MS for this), etc.

Life is too short for paranoia.

 

[Kubla]

I am thinking of using something like Cloaked or Mysudo to create basically a virtual presence on the internet so that any data collected from my use is fake.