Identity theft has you in its sights. Here’s how to protect yourself

To say that cybersecurity has evolved in recent times would be an understatement. Cyberattacks were rife before Covid hit, but they escalated dramatically during the pandemic, changing both the threat landscape and the ways you need to protect yourself online. 

While protection from malware and password breaches are still of critical importance, it’s now of utmost importance to also focus directly on identity theft itself. Here’s what you need to know and how to protect yourself.

Real-world impacts

Last year, according to the ACCC, Australians collectively lost more than AU$47 million per month due to cybercrime – up a staggering 90% on the previous year. All the lockdowns, online ordering, delivery notifications, dodgy check-in apps and fake health alerts really took their toll at a personal level. However, things really ramped up when both Optus and Medibank got hacked. The Optus breach, in particular, exposed up to 10 million customers’ most personal information to hackers, including driver’s licence, passport and payment details. This, on its own, put almost half of Australia’s adult population at risk of identity theft.

The consequences have been very real for ordinary people. Just one family lost AU$10,000 from its bank account and has subsequently suffered AU$60,000 of fraudulent transactions in its name. “It’s... destroying us,” said the father.

Meanwhile, a senior operator at Medibank was targeted by cybercriminals and their access credentials stolen. These were then sold on the dark web and subsequently used to leak people’s most personal medical details online, along with the identity information that went with them. The breach affected 9.7 million current and former customers and even included personal details of customers’ next of kin.

While various politicians and police chiefs have made ‘reassuring’ speeches and promised more funding to protect against the bad guys, the denizens of the dark web have little reason to fear Australian law enforcement.

The fact is that no matter how careful you’ve been with your personal information, even people and organisations you trust get compromised as a matter of course. Stealing your identity, or the identity of someone whose job it is to protect your identity, can be done simply by digging receipts from your bin, taking letters from your letterbox, skimming your cash card or straight-up scamming you in countless, tried-and-tested methods  – like phishing scams where cybercriminals pretend to be a legit organisation asking you for personal details.

From there, cybercriminals can often empty bank accounts, change legal addresses, rent or buy properties, set-up new phone numbers (and use them for additional authentication), destroy credit ratings, and generally commit crimes in your name. Fortunately, there is a new way to protect yourself against these forms of identity theft – or even help anyone whose already had their details leaked. Say hello to Norton Identity Advisor Plus.

The new way to protect your identity online

Norton Identity Advisor Plus is separate to its traditional, device-based anti-malware and antivirus software. It utilises a dedicated suite of new tools and services that can help stop your data being compromised, act as an early-warning system if it’s already been accessed, and even offer real-world advice (and even financial assistance) should your identity get stolen.

So, how does it work? Here are the key features of Norton Identity Advisor Plus:

Dark web monitoring. The dark web is part of the internet where illicit activity takes place – its users’ online movements don’t leave a trail, which means that their activities can’t be traced. While the buying and selling of compromised data (including the data from the Optus and Medibank breaches) can be seen, if you know where to look, it’s not possible to trace who’s using it unless they, themselves, leave a trail to the real world. If that happens, Western law enforcement often discovers that the bad guys are based in a country they’ve no jurisdiction. Not surprisingly, much of the content on the dark web is illicit, illegal and disturbing and you won’t want to crawl around checking to see if your information is there. Fortunately, Norton Identity Advisor Plus routinely scans the dark web for compromised data and alerts you when it finds it – giving you the opportunity to secure the necessary accounts and services before cybercriminals can exploit them.

Social media monitoring. Of course, not all criminal activity occurs in the digital shadows – some hides in plain sight. There are copious crooks conspiring across various vast social networks, and identifying when personal details are being used in an illicit way isn’t feasible without being proactive. Fortunately, Norton knows what to look for and will alert you when and where your information appears somewhere suspicious.

Identity restoration support. It’s one thing to know that your personal information has been compromised, but if that does happen, what do you do next? Norton Identity Advisor Plus will provide you with direct access to a special Identity Restoration Specialist who will walk you through battening down your digital hatches, lead you through the next steps to take, help resolve disputes between relevant parties and provide support until your case is closed.

Stolen wallet assist. Stolen wallets equate to stolen identity – whether you lose your bank card, credit card, driver’s licence or anything else with personal details on it. Let Norton’s specialists walk you through the process of securing your identity and funds before it’s too late.

Identity theft insurance. Identity theft can range from a few annoying transactions to a total usurpation of your identity – something which in the worst instances can even require time off work to sort out. So, it’s reassuring to know that Norton Identity Advisor Plus also provides insurance up to AU$58,000 for legal expense reimbursement, lost income, ‘obligation to pay’ cover and miscellaneous expenses.

Ultimately, protecting your identity has never been more important and even your best efforts to stay secure can be undermined by breaches of organisations you’ve dealt with in the past (if they haven’t already). 

Provide yourself with peace of mind by employing Norton Identity Advisor Plus as your personal, virtual, security guard. It’s great value at only AU$119.99 per year,  and if you get in quick, you can save AU$20 off the regular price right now! That’s just AU$8.33 per month!