When people think about identity theft, many assume their information isn’t valuable enough to be worth guarding intensely. They assume that those who need to protect their identities are people with intense amounts of assets that can be accessed digitally or people who have access to high-profile information through their workplaces. Yes, those people need to be wary too, but it turns out anyone’s identity and data security is something that needs to be taken seriously. The following will explore some of the steps you can take to help protect yourself, including working with an identity theft monitoring service.
It is important to note that while these security measures can absolutely help you reduce your risk of being victimized by identity theft or other similar crimes if you have any reason to believe that you’ve been targeted for a crime specifically, you need to reach out to the authorities. If you have received threats, taunts, or hints, reach out to your local law enforcement immediately, in addition to taking steps to protect yourself.
What Is Identity Theft Monitoring?
Standard identity theft monitoring includes regularly reviewing your bank statements and other information with the aim of looking out for any irregular or unauthorized payments. Sometimes those who steal identities are clever about it, and they siphon off small amounts of money gradually over a long period of time so a person with a stolen identity might not even notice. Of course, you should include these steps in your security measures, but sometimes they aren’t enough. That’s when identity theft monitoring comes into play.
Identity theft monitoring is a service provided by a professional security company whereby an experienced security team monitors a range of your personal information to keep a lookout for any indications of fraud. The plans available cover a wide variety of platforms and topics depending on what you use, interact with, and are worried about. If you want a broader understanding of the types of plans available from all different companies, Chron has compiled a list of some of the most popular and highly regarded identity theft monitoring services. If you don’t see what you need in these standardized packages, feel free to contact an identity theft monitoring company and see if they are willing to create a specialized plan for your needs.
Early Alerts
Often when an identity crime has occurred, it takes time for a person to realize that something awry is going on. This can often mean that someone’s account is empty or their credit is destroyed before they begin to take action. Working with an identity theft monitoring service results in you getting an alert or message the moment something is a bit unusual. This can help you take action immediately and prevent any serious damages.
They Can Help You Learn About Password Quality
One of the easiest things you can do to protect yourself from identity theft is to create solid passwords for all your accounts and devices. Identity theft monitoring services can make recommendations in this department if you’re struggling to come up with something secure. At the minimum, you want a password that is six or more characters and is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. You also want to stay away from keywords that would be easy for someone to figure out if they scrolled through your social media. The names of your children or spouse or pets are often easy to surmise from online accounts, as are things you’re obsessed with, whether that’s Game of Thrones or Virginia Woolf novels.
There Are Plans Designed For Specific Industries
The pressure can be greater if you’re looking for a service that is not just for you and your family but your company. If this is the case, you will want to look for clients in your industry. This will give you a better idea of whether or not a particular provider is comfortable working with the type of needs that arise in your field; every industry is a bit different and so each of them has special security requirements. If you’re collecting any information regarding your staff or customer base, you will need to speak to a provider about this to ensure that everything that needs to be protected is protected. In today’s digital world, more and more people are learning about data security, and this means your customers and employees might want to know that you’re taking appropriate security measures when they share their private information with you.
Insurance Coverage
One of the best benefits of working with an identity theft monitoring service is that many plans present you with insurance. This means, if your identity is stolen and you lose out on money or some other asset, you have insurance that can help cover the damages. While ideally, identity theft won’t happen to you, if it does, you’ll have a plan and way to begin repairing damages.
Restoration Strategies
Again, ideally, identity theft isn’t going to happen, but if it does, identity theft monitoring services often include an agreement to help restore and repair your credit should someone damage your credit with their behavior. Often the damage to your credit score is the part of identity theft that continues to cause harm for years. It can prevent you from buying a home, getting a loan to start a business, or qualifying for funding help for further education. Having professionals who know exactly how to go about approaching conversations with debt creditors and debtors as well as freezing your credit as well as guide you in the pursuit of getting your credit score restored.
Customer Support
Of course, figuring out that your identity has been stolen is only the first step to dealing with the problem. Having customer support available at any hour of the day can help you get in touch with experts and figure out what your next steps are. It can also mean that when you’re making a decision that could impact your identity’s security, you can reach out to a professional and get their opinion before you make your choice.
The above information should help make clear some of the benefits of working with an identity theft monitoring service.
GAG Staff