LifeLock Identity Theft Protection Overview
LifeLock, a component of NortonLifeLock, is a comprehensive identity theft protection service designed to safeguard individuals’ personal and financial information from various forms of identity theft and cyber threats.
What LifeLock Does
LifeLock provides a robust suite of features aimed at detecting, alerting, and mitigating identity theft. The service is not a foolproof guarantee against identity theft, but it offers proactive and reactive measures to help users recover and avoid the consequences of identity theft. Here’s how it works:
- Monitoring and Alerts: LifeLock continuously monitors areas where stolen identities or signs of identity theft might appear, including data breaches, the dark web, public records, and court records. It sends alerts via text, phone, email, or the LifeLock mobile app when suspicious activities are detected.
Key Features
Identity Monitoring
LifeLock monitors a wide range of personal information, including:
- Social Security Number: Alerts for fraudulent use in credit and service applications.
- USPS Address Changes: Notifications for address change requests linked to your identity.
- Criminal and Court Records: Monitoring for any changes or appearances in these records.
- Dark Web Content: Scans dark web sites and forums for your personal information.
- Sex Offender Registries: Alerts if your information appears in these registries (available in Ultimate Plus plan).
Credit Monitoring
LifeLock tracks changes to your credit file with one or all of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). It includes:
- Credit Alerts: Notifications for credit card and auto loan applications.
- Credit File Locking: Easy access to locking your TransUnion credit file to prevent new credit lines or loans (though you must manually freeze or lock accounts with Experian and Equifax).
Financial Monitoring
This feature includes:
- Bank and Credit Card Activity Alerts: Notifications for cash withdrawals, balance transfers, and large purchases.
- Investment & 401(k) Activity Alerts: Alerts for potentially fraudulent transactions in investment and retirement accounts.
- Recurring Charge Alerts: Notifications if monthly recurring charges increase.
- Bank Account Takeover Alerts: Monitoring for changes in existing bank accounts.
Device and Digital Protection
When bundled with Norton 360, LifeLock offers:
- Antivirus Software: Protection against malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats.
- VPN: Norton Secure VPN for encrypted internet connections and anonymous browsing.
- Parental Control: Tools to monitor and limit children’s online activity, including screen time limits and blocking unsuitable sites.
Insurance and Reimbursement
LifeLock provides extensive insurance coverage:
- Up to $3 Million Coverage: The Ultimate Plus plan covers up to $1 million each for stolen funds, legal fees, and personal expenses related to identity theft.
Additional Features
- Stolen Wallet Protection: Assistance in canceling or replacing stolen credit cards, driver’s licenses, and other important documents.
- Phone Takeover Monitoring: Alerts for potential phone takeovers, including SIM card changes and carrier changes.
- Social Media Monitoring: Alerts for risky links or potential account compromises on linked social media accounts (available in Ultimate Plus plan).
Plans and Pricing
LifeLock offers several plans tailored to different needs:
- Standard (or Select): Basic identity protection and one-bureau credit monitoring.
- Advantage: Additional features like phone takeover monitoring and synthetic identity theft monitoring.
- Ultimate Plus: Comprehensive coverage including home title monitoring, sex offender registry reports, and social media monitoring. Plans can be subscribed to on a monthly or yearly basis, with discounts available for yearly subscriptions. Bundling with Norton 360 adds device security and other digital protection features.
In summary, LifeLock is a powerful tool for protecting against identity theft, offering a wide array of monitoring, alert, and insurance features to help individuals safeguard their personal and financial information in an increasingly digital world.