Avoiding identity theft can be complex since so much of our personal information is online. Thankfully, services like Identity Guard simplify the process of identity theft protection by combining several helpful tools and features.
Identity Guard offers the following identity theft protection services:
- Account monitoring and alerts in case your personal information appears on the dark web or in other data leaks
- Insurance coverage up to $1 million to help you recover losses suffered due to identity theft
- Effective password management, including generating strong and complex passwords
- Dedicated support staff to help resolve issues and deal with identity theft
Overall, Identity Guard is a great identity theft monitoring service, although it lacks a VPN and an antivirus solution. We highly recommend Identity Guard to anyone seeking a basic but effective identity theft protection service.
Read our full Identity Guard review for more details on its features and pricing!
Identity theft is one of the most common forms of cybercrime, with over 1.1 million cases reported in the US in 2022 alone. Protecting yourself against identity theft requires a multi-pronged strategy, including limiting personal information sharing and sound password management.
Luckily, identity theft monitoring services like Identity Guard combine several anti-identity theft measures into a single service. While identity theft is impossible to prevent, using an identity theft monitoring service can go a long way toward reducing its possibility.
In this Identity Guard review, we go over the service’s usability and pricing and compare it against other leading identity theft monitoring services. Overall, Identity Guard is an excellent choice for first-time users looking to familiarize themselves with identity monitoring services at an affordable price.
Identity Guard Mini-Review
Identity Guard offers all the features necessary for robust identity theft protection, including monitoring different reports and accounts, alerts and notifications for suspicious activities, and insurance in case of identity theft.
Its most notable feature is the use of artificial intelligence, specifically IBM’s Watson, to detect fraud patterns and identify users at high risk of identity theft. This is why we think Identity Guard’s monitoring and alert services are a cut above the rest.
Identity Guard also stands out when it comes to pricing. Its basic plan, which starts at $7.20/month (billed monthly), provides essential identity theft protection at an unmatched price point. You can also protect your entire family, up to five members, for a few extra dollars each month.
We highly recommend Identity Guard for beginners, as it’s very easy to set up, and its basic plan is cost-effective.
We recommend Identity Guard if you:
- Are a first-time user of identity theft monitoring services
- Want effective protection for an affordable price
- Want to try out an identity monitoring service for 60 days
We don't recommend Identity Guard if you:
- Require a VPN and malware protection
- Do not have a US social security number, which is a prereuisite to sign up for the service
What Does Identity Guard Do?
Identity Guard covers all the essentials you’d expect from a full-fledged identity theft protection service. Before we dive deep into the specifics of all its features, here’s a run-down of some of Identity Guard’s core offerings:
- AI-based identity theft protection: AI algorithms excel at identifying trends and patterns by using data. Identity Guard uses these to identify threats and alert users.
- Identity theft insurance of $1 million: If you happen to be an identity theft victim, Identity Guard will cover the costs of recovering lost assets up to $1 million.
- Financial and credit report monitoring: Identity Guard also monitors your transaction data to identify high-risk transactions. With the Standard and Ultra plans, you also get credit reports and bank account monitoring. It also helps block your cards in case you lose your wallet.
- Overall privacy and security: Identity Guard offers a password manager and safe browsing tools that help bolster your overall security online.
- Dedicated customer support: An informative and prompt customer support team is available to resolve urgent queries 24/7.
Pricing
Identity Guard offers three plans with different features and capabilities. You can choose between the cheaper individual plans or the more expensive family plans, which cover five members of your family.
The table below explains what the different Identity Guard plans offer:
| Feature | Identity Guard Basic | Identity Guard Total | Identity Guard Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing* | Individual: $6.67/month Family: $10/month | Individual: $11.99/month Family: $17.99/month | Individual: $14.99/month Family: $19.99/month | |
| Dark Web Monitoring | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Data Breach Notifications | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| High-Risk Transaction Monitoring | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Bank Account Monitoring | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Credit and Debit Card Monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| Home Title Monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| USPS Address Change Monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Criminal and Sex Offense Monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| Identity Theft Insurance | Up to $1 million | Up to $1 million | Up to $1 million | |
| White Glove Fraud Resolution | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| Safe Browsing Tools | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Password Manager | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
The Basic plan offers basic identity monitoring services, whereas the Total and Ultra plans provide comprehensive identity theft protection, such as 3-bureau credit monitoring and monthly credit score reports.
Identity Guard also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on all its plans. This means you can test its services for 60 days to see if you like them. If you don’t, you’ll get your full money back, provided you cancel your subscription within 60 days of its purchase
Features
Identity Guard offers a plethora of services to protect your identity and remain online. We explain some of its prominent features, including monitoring, protection, and password management, in this section.
Monitoring and protection
Identity Theft’s key offering is its broad-based monitoring and alert service. We explain the different kinds of monitoring in the following table:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Dark Web Monitoring | A lot of stolen personal information ends up on the dark web. Identity Guard regularly scans known dark web repositories to check if your social security number, passwords, email accounts, or other details are part of a leak. During our tests, Identity Guard successfully notified us that passwords for two of our social media accounts had been leaked. |
| Credit Report Monitoring | Cybercriminals can steal your financial details and use them to obtain loans that won’t get repaid, negatively impacting your credit score. Identity Guard provides near real-time alerts of inquiries into your credit file across the three major US credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). |
| Social Media Monitoring | Hackers can misuse your information to steal your identity. Identity Guard can analyze your social media profile to determine how vulnerable you are. |
| Home Title and Address Change Monitoring | Identity Guard ensures that cybercriminals can’t use your information to apply for a fraudulent home title. It also monitors the USPS address registry to ensure that criminals can’t change your address to obtain letters and mail addressed to you. |
| Wallet Theft Protection | We’re all prone to losing our wallets. Identity Guard has a dedicated helpline that will help cancel your cards and review your credit reports. |
Password manager
Keeping secure passwords and changing them often is one of the most effective ways to prevent identity theft. While you can do this on your own, a password manager simplifies the process by generating and storing strong passwords for you.
Identity Guard has a built-in password manager that stores and encrypts all your passwords in one place. You can also store your credit card information using its ID Vault.
Another useful feature is importing accounts and passwords stored in your browser or another password manager. The process takes a few minutes to complete and ensures all your passwords are safely secure in one place, from where they can be accessed quickly.
The password manager is also available as a standalone extension for Google Chrome. In addition to creating and saving passwords for you, the extension also blocks trackers and advertisements, providing undisturbed and seamless browsing.
Safe browser extension
Identity Guard also provides a safe browser extension that keeps you safe online. Safe Browser is available on Google Chrome and can be downloaded and installed from the Web Store like any other web extension.
The extension is a very handy tool that fulfills a range of functions, including:
- Protection against phishing websites
- Forcing HTTPS encryption on unsecured websites
- Blocking intrusive ads and trackers used by websites to collect personal information
- Simple 1-click social media protection
- Search and removal of private information found online
While the password manager and safe browser extension are welcome additions, Identity Guard does not offer a VPN or built-in antivirus solution. We were disappointed by this exclusion, as a VPN is necessary to encrypt your online activity, and an antivirus keeps your device from being infected with malware.
If you want holistic online protection, consider a good security suite available on the market. We tested more than 30 suites and identified Surfshark One as the best. You can test Surfshark One for free, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ease of use
Ease of use is a key factor when testing identity monitoring services. Identity Guard is one of the most user-friendly identity monitoring services we’ve tested, from its website to its interface and dashboard.
The Identity Guard website is simple and intuitive. The homepage showcases its different features and pricing plans at a glance, making it easy to understand what the service offers. It also features FAQs and blog-type articles explaining what Identity Guard does and how you can resolve any potential problems.
Once you’ve completed the signup process, which we explain later, you’ll gain access to Identity Guard’s browser-based dashboard. The dashboard presents an overview of Identity Guard’s services, including credit score updates, identity monitoring, and password protection.
Clicking on the Identity box takes you to another page where you can set up and manage identity monitoring services. This includes dark web monitoring and automatic personal information submission to data brokers for removal.
Most of the services can be set up automatically and require little to no intervention from the user.
Clicking the circular icon on the top left of the screen opens up the Account Management section. Here, you can change your subscription, download apps, and customize alerts.
Setting up Identity Guard
As part of our Identity Guard review, we tested how long it took to set up the service from scratch. We found that Identity Guard is one of the easier identity monitoring services to set up, requiring no more than 10 minutes.
A step-by-step guide to setting up Identity Guard is provided below:
- Head over to the Identity Guard website.
- Click on the “Get Protection Now” button in the middle of the webpage.
- Select your desired pricing plan and choose between an individual or family membership.
- Enter the email ID you want to create an Identity Guard account with.
- Fill in your first and last name and home address when prompted to do so.
- Enter your social security number to complete the identity verification process. Please note that Identity Guard requires a US social security number.
- Select your preferred payment option. Identity Guard supports credit and debit cards and PayPal.
- You’ve successfully created an Identity Guard account!
Once payment is complete, you’ll be redirected to the dashboard interface. You’ll have to verify your personal information before accessing the service.
Identity Guard will also require you to complete a questionnaire about your online and offline security behavior. Your responses will help fine-tune Identity Guard’s monitoring and alert services.
Customer service
It can be difficult to set up and use identity monitoring services. For instance, we faced payment-related issues while signing up for Identity Guard. Thankfully, our problem was promptly resolved by Identity Guard’s support staff. They gave us multiple solutions and remained in contact until it was resolved.
If you happen to be an identity theft victim, Identity Guard has a dedicated team of experts to help out. This expert team is available 24/7 and can help freeze your credit reports, block your credit cards, and initiate the identity restoration process.
The support team can be reached via phone or email for all other queries. While the website states that support staff will respond in 24 to 48 hours, we received a much quicker reply to our query regarding payment options.
Comparison Table: Identity Guard vs. Competitors
We routinely test leading identity monitoring services, allowing us to compare Identity Guard with leading providers. The table below compares Identity Guard with Lifelock and Aura, two of the best identity monitoring services currently available.
| Feature | Identity Guard | Aura | LifeLock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $6.67/month for the annual plan | From $12/month for the annual plan | From $7.50/month for the first year |
| Family plan | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Insurance coverage | Up to $1 million | Up to $5 million | Up to $3 million |
| Credit monitoring (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Phone support | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bank and card accounts monitored | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dark web monitoring | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AI-Based analysis | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Social media monitoring | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Money-back guarantee | 60 days | 60 days | 30 days |
| Child identity protection | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Parental controls | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Save 16% on Your Identity Guard Subscription | Get a 53% Discount on Aura | Get Up to 66% Off on LifeLock |
The table makes it evident that Identity Guard is a cut above the rest regarding monitoring. However, it pales compared to Aura and Lifelock regarding value-added features. For instance, the other services offer child identity protection, parental controls, and a VPN.
Still, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more intuitive and effective identity-monitoring service for only $6.67. We have no qualms about recommending Identity Guard for beginners and intermediate users, though advanced users may prefer Aura, LifeLock, or the newer McAfee Identity Protection.
You can save up to 16% on LifeLock by using our button below, plus you get a “free trial” of sorts if you take advantage of the money-back guarantee and cancel within 60 days.
Final Thoughts: Simplify Identity Protection with Identity Guard
Identity Guard simplifies the process of countering identity theft by actively monitoring your personal information and managing your passwords. It also blocks ads and trackers online, further adding to your privacy. As such, we strongly recommend Identity Guard for first-time users of identity monitoring services.
However, if you’re looking for more holistic protection, including a VPN and antivirus solution, Identity Guard is not the best option. The service is also exclusive to users who have a US social security number.
All in all, Identity Guard is an excellent option for users who need a comprehensive identity protection service. For only $6.67 a month, you get monitoring for your financial data, social media, address, and more.
Pro Tip:
Users who need a VPN and antivirus can opt for Surfshark One one of the best-performing VPNs and antivirus services available today.
For more information on identity theft and other cybercrimes, check out these articles:
- What is Phishing? Be Wary of Fake Emails and Other Scams
- What is Catfishing? Signs You’re Being Catfished Online
- What is Doxing? Is It Legal and How Do You Prevent It?
The following section answers some of the most common Identity Guard-related questions. If there’s anything else you’d like to ask, please let us know in the comments!
Yes, Identity Guard is an effective identity protection service. It scans and monitors different accounts to ensure your personal data isn’t leaked online and misused by hackers. It also helps generate secure passwords to protect your accounts.
However, Identity Guard lacks a VPN and an antivirus solution, tools that its competitor Aura offers.
Identity Guard monitors your social security number to check for unauthorized use and access. Hackers commonly use social security numbers to avail social services with someone else’s name and identity.
Identity Guard is a relatively cheap identity monitoring service, with its most basic plan starting at $6.67/month. However, this plan is barebones and lacks advanced features like bank account monitoring and credit card tracking.
Accessing the full suite features requires an Ultra subscription, which costs $25/month.
LifeLock and Identity Guard are excellent identity theft protection services with a few major differences. For instance, LifeLock offers a VPN and an antivirus solution, which Identity Guard doesn’t. Conversely, Identity Guard offers AI-based account monitoring, resulting in quicker detection of potentially harmful activity.
