So, has the information I’ve laid out in the online privacy/security series got you thinking about the different things you do online?
Does it make you worry about what companies have your personal data and information? If it hasn’t, then you need to re-read the previous articles in this series.
If you haven’t already read them, you can find them here:
Online Security 101, Data Breaches Put Your Personal Info at Risk & Your Options Once Your Personal Data is Compromised.
Over the past decade, society has developed an increasing reliance on the internet.
That reliance is only going to increase. We bank online, we shop online, we socialize online, we apply for jobs online… you get the point.
With this exponential growth of our online activities, the opportunities for hackers and thieves to steal our identity also increases.
Once they have control of our information, the things they can do could easily destroy our lives and deplete our bank accounts… and for those who are heavily involved in the cryptocurrency space, they could potentially gain access to your crypto.
This can be very frightening!
Monitoring Your Information
If you are worried about how easy it is for your identifying data to be disseminated over the internet, you should know that this same internet has also made it much easier for you to keep a watchful eye over your information.
The two main options are credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
The most general (and cheapest) of the two is simply monitoring your credit.
You can either monitor your credit yourself or pay for a service that will alert you to any changes on your credit report.
If you have a credit card… or have been the victim of a recent large data breach… chances are that you may already have access to this service for free.
Otherwise, you can conduct your own credit monitoring by checking your credit for free through the official, government-mandated site, AnnualCreditReport.com.
A quick note… be wary of other “free” sites, as many are subscription traps.
You may have heard that credit checks cause your credit score to drop.
While this is true for credit checks made when opening new lines of credit (a hard inquiry), you can check your credit for free (a soft inquiry) without hurting your score at all.
While it is already a good idea to check your credit score around once a year, unexplained drops can also be an indicator of fraudulent activity.
If you notice an unexplained change, you should freeze your credit immediately and dispute any activity.
You may also see “credit lock” services offered by the bureaus… these are often more convenient than a freeze, but may have different legal protections.
ID Theft Protection
Compared to credit monitoring, ID theft protection is a much more proactive service.
This is generally a paid service.
In 2026, these services are more powerful than ever, using AI-powered monitoring to scan the dark web, public records, and even social media for suspicious activity linked to your personal information.
Where credit monitoring alerts you to new activity on your credit report, identity theft protection attempts to discern suspicious activity that might not show up there.
For instance, your service might alert you if there is a new utility account filed with your name, if someone is trying to use your identity to receive payday loans, or even if someone is attempting to use your social security number to collect federal benefits.
One of the perks with these types of services is that they will also usually assign you a case manager in the event your identity is stolen.
This case manager then works with you directly to help you navigate the steps and documents required to notify all necessary authorities and financial entities.
They will help you freeze your credit lines and start the process of refuting any fraudulent activity and rebuilding your good name.
Digital Wallet & Transaction Monitoring
This is a critical update for anyone in the cryptocurrency space.
It’s vital to understand that traditional ID theft services do not monitor blockchain activity.
If your crypto exchange is hacked or your private keys are stolen, a service like LifeLock will not see that transaction… they are designed to monitor the traditional financial system.
For crypto specific protection, you must rely on the security features of your exchange (like 2FA and withdrawal whitelists)… and use reputable portfolio trackers that can alert you to unexpected wallet activity or balance changes.
Your first line of defense for crypto is your own security hygiene.
Your Final Layer of Defense
Keep in mind that neither identity theft protection nor credit monitoring can prevent the initial theft of your data from a breached company… but they can help you regain control of your digital identity.
It is critical in the case of identity theft to act as soon as possible to mitigate potential damage; these services help you do that.
For a DIY approach, you can set up Google Alerts for your name, use a haveibeenpwned subscription for breach alerts, and manually freeze your credit.
Ultimately, the right service depends on your budget and your level of risk.
To help you decide, I’ve put together reviews of my top recommended services on the My Toolbox Page. It’s your best resource for finding the right tools & services to help protect your digital life.
