Having your identity stolen is very real, and unfortunately a very common reality in the modern world. It’s difficult to live your life online without revealing personal information somewhere down the line. Social media, online shopping, and even paying your bills will put information such as your name, email address, phone number, address, or more online, somewhere.
If that personal info finds itself in the wrong hands, the results can be devastating. Your accounts can be accessed, credit cards compromised, or purchases made in your name. There are plenty of horror stories out there of identity thieves going as far as even making such outlandish purchases like property or luxury cars. If a cyber criminal gains access to your identity, you can be sure they will move as quickly as possible, and do as much financial damage as possible.
Most of us are vaguely aware of the dangers of online identity theft, or perhaps are unfortunate enough to have experienced it sometime in the past. Most people however, aren’t fully aware of just how easy it can be for bad actors to do some serious damage in the event of a targeted attack. Luckily though, if you’re willing to invest a bit of money for some peace of mind, it can be easy to protect yourself from identity theft online with NortonLifeLock’s latest product: Norton Identity Advisor Plus.
What is Norton Identity Advisor Plus?
Norton Identity Advisor Plus from NortonLifeLock is a targeted Identity Theft Protection product, separate from its typical antivirus offerings. It attempts to cover every step of the possible identity theft pipeline, from monitoring the dark web and social media sites for suspicious activity or leaked personal data, to identity restoration support with a qualified specialist, and even identity theft insurance. These services can be accessed via web browsers for PC and Mac, as well as with iOS or Android mobile apps.
What is identity restoration support?
Identity Restoration Support helpline is available 9am-6pm GMT (Mon-Fri), where a dedicated specialist will help guide you through the restoration process from start to finish. You’ll have a single specialist covering your case, and there are support services for a range of scenarios including stolen wallet assistance, which can help you replace credit cards, bank cards, your driver’s licence and other essential cards.
Norton Identity Advisor Plus also includes Identity Theft Insurance Coverage, which provides coverage of up to A$58,000 for covered expenses and specific losses related to identity theft, including financial loss and legal fees.
How much does Norton Identity Advisor Plus cost in Australia?
For a one-year subscription of Norton Identity Advisor Plus, you’ll be looking at A$119.99, billed annually. As an introductory offer, Norton is offering A$20 off your first year, making new sign-ups cost just A$99.99 / first year. A Norton Identity Advisor Plus licence is for one account, though the app and website are accessible on unlimited devices.
If your personal data is already floating out there in shady corners of the web (in which case you’ve got a few things to worry about), the appeal of Norton Identity Advisor Plus is mostly as a form of insurance – as well as literal financial support with insurance.
Is Norton Identity Advisor Plus a standalone product?
As a brand new, and relatively unique service, Norton Identity Advisor Plus is a completely standalone product. As such, it does not come as a part of Norton’s existing security products such as Norton 360 or Norton Antivirus Plus.
Keep your identity safe
There are so many ways, both online and in your day-to-day life where your personal information is at risk. Even the biggest, most secure companies can have data breaches that compromise sensitive information. Thieves can intercept your mail, sort through your garbage to find bills or receipts, or skim your card at ATMs and in-store card readers. With that information, there is no telling what kind of damage can be done.
In this world, a service such as Norton Identity Advisor Plus makes sense. Even if you don’t think you’d necessarily need a third party support agent in case of a missing wallet or compromised password, the monitoring component alone is incredibly useful. The included insurance coverage is a particularly interesting component of the service, which demonstrates Norton’s confidence in this product, and will likely drive a lot of consumer interest, too. For more information about what that looks like, or to even try out a free trial and scan for your own personal data, check out the Norton website here.
