| LifeLock claims to be one of the biggest identity theft | | | | can be a big help to someone that has fallen victim to |
| protection companies in the world and serves both | | | | identity theft, a more ideal solution would be a program |
| individuals and businesses. The company is based in | | | | that prevents the theft in the first place. LifeLock is |
| Tempe, Arizona and was founded in 2005. LifeLock is | | | | said to be different because it is a system designed to |
| funded by private equity investment and venture funds | | | | prevent your identity from being stolen rather than |
| and is currently being valued in excess of $40 million | | | | reporting it after the fact. The company claims that it is |
| and is well-poised to earn the leadership position in | | | | so confident with their service that their CEO |
| identity theft protection services. With this said, the | | | | commonly publishes his own social security number |
| company is obviously doing something right but does | | | | because he knows his identity is safe. To guarantee |
| its program work? Before answering this question it is | | | | this high-quality protection, LifeLock hires companies to |
| important to understand what identity theft is and what | | | | continually try to break into the system. If LifeLock is |
| types of protection are available. | | | | so effective then we must wonder how it works. |
| Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United | | | | LifeLock claims to maintain locks on your credit file and |
| States and is taking center stage at the White House, | | | | keeps the locks current as they will normally expire |
| many homes around the nation, and is also becoming a | | | | every 90 days. The company also removes your |
| growing concern to businesses and individuals. The | | | | name from pre-approved credit card offers. LifeLock |
| concept of what identity theft is can be put in quite | | | | offers two separate plans, one for business and the |
| simple terms where a thief gains access to your | | | | other one for individuals. For individuals, LifeLock |
| personal information such as social security number, | | | | charges a per-person monthly fee and has a discount |
| driver's license number, birth date, address, or bank | | | | for your children and is now said to be offering free |
| account numbers. Once a thief has this information | | | | and reduced cost to veterans. Businesses too have |
| there are numerous things they can use it for but in | | | | experienced similar success with LifeLock in terms of |
| virtually all cases the end result is devastation for the | | | | protecting the identities of its employees. While it is |
| victim and their credit history. This being the case, it is | | | | easy to see how LifeLock can benefit a large |
| obvious that people need some type of protection but | | | | business and does work for an individual, is it not |
| what is available? | | | | possible for someone simply do everything on their |
| Traditional identity theft services can be broken down | | | | own to avoid the monthly charge? |
| into several categories such as credit monitoring | | | | Other then the fact that LifeLock employs |
| services, identity theft insurance, or restoration | | | | Identityguard which monitors your credit reports |
| services. Credit monitoring may give someone a false | | | | monthly which you can not do for free, there is nothing |
| sense of security because by the time the monitoring | | | | else that LifeLock does that an individual can not do on |
| service finds a problem, the identity of the client has | | | | there own. The LifeLock program is basically a service |
| already been compromised. Insurance and restoration | | | | of convenience that offers the customer a sense of |
| services are also reactionary and do nothing to | | | | security without the stress of taking care of all the little |
| prevent the crime as they are designed to help | | | | details of securing their identity not to mention |
| consumers after they have become victims. Identity | | | | remembering to keep the alerts active when they run |
| theft insurance reimburses you for the costs of | | | | out. In today's world it is obvious that we all need some |
| restoring your identity and a restoration service will | | | | type of protection from identity theft and whether you |
| often provide a representative to handle the time | | | | decide to take care of it on your own or choose a |
| consuming aspect of restoring your credit. | | | | program such as LifeLock is not as important as taking |
| While identity theft insurance and restoration services | | | | some type of action to protect yourself. |