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With an intuitive app and retirement/investment monitoring, Aura is the best choice to protect families from identity theft.
Updated March 2, 2026
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Aura leads the identity theft protection market with a digital-first approach that safeguards families through comprehensive monitoring tools, all accessible via an intuitive, user-friendly platform designed for modern households.
NortonLifeLock remains a trusted leader in identity theft protection, offering robust family plans with extensive features and specialized protections for children that make it ideal for households of all sizes.
Identity Guard leverages advanced artificial intelligence to protect households from evolving identity theft threats. Their proactive monitoring and comprehensive coverage make them a top contender for families seeking all-around protection.
It’s normal to think of yourself when shopping around for identity theft protection services. After all, you and your partner are the ones with bank accounts, credit cards, and 401(k). Plus, wouldn’t it be better to save some money by not including your kids or other family members in your identity theft protection plan?
Sadly, no one is immune to the threat of identity theft. Hackers don’t think twice about scraping a child’s social media account or pretending to be a grandchild to scam a grandparent. The good news is that there are identity theft protection services with features designed exclusively for the whole family.
Aura's family plans impressed us with their parental control features and detailed online activity reports. Meanwhile, LifeLock, Identity Guard, Experian IdentityWorks, Allstate Identity Protection, IdentityForce, and Zander offer extensive family-focused features worth evaluating. Let's walk through each option to help you find the best protection for everyone under your roof.
Aura launched in 2019 after founder Hari Ravichandran experienced identity fraud firsthand. With its relatively recent beginnings, Aura was built digital-first from day one. This approach particularly benefits households with multiple dependents as children tend to spend a significant amount of time online. That’s where they face the largest risks of identity theft.
Aura launched in 2019 after founder Hari Ravichandran fell victim to identity fraud. So Aura is new in town, yes, but in our book that’s a plus. Aura was never a brick-and-mortar business that had to feel its way into the digital arena. Aura was born digital. The advantages of that approach for consumers are many, especially if you’ve got a household full of dependents (who are at higher risk than adults for undetected identity theft, by the way.)
Aura is more than an identity theft protection service.
Aura plans start with nuts and bolts protections for the family. You get a harmful website (a.k.a. malware) blocker and virtual private network (VPN) for up to 10 members of the fam. Right out the gate, this cuts off the major avenues of identity theft attacks for cybercrooks. Your family’s internet connections and browsing will be safe inside the house and wherever you go.
Pro Tip: VPNs are the cornerstone of family digital hygiene. They protect your devices from all sorts of things, like dangerous websites, ransomware attacks, and even your own internet service providers snooping on you as you browse.
Beyond basic protections, Aura’s family plans — which start at $32 per month — deliver a comprehensive identity theft protection arsenal. This includes triple-bureau credit monitoring, credit locks, real-time spending alerts, and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance. The platform also monitors Social Security numbers, bank accounts, investment accounts, and even your home title for fraudulent activity.
That said, the reason it sits atop our list is the security tools that protect the whole family, including the kids. When we tested Aura, we set time limits for how long our kids spent on YouTube and Roblox. We also organized monitoring alerts for their Social Security Numbers and credit files. It was even great to get usage reports to see how long the little rascals spend on their devices.
| Identity monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit monitoring | Three bureaus |
| Insurance | Up to $1 million per adult |
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Money-back guarantee | 60 days |
As a leader in the identity theft protection industry, LifeLock’s plans include comprehensive protection with up to $3 million identity theft insurance. They offer monitoring for your credit files, your social security number, and other personal information. For even stronger protection, you can bundle any plan with Norton 360 for complete device protection as well. At least, that’s what we did when we tested LifeLock.
One of our favorite things about LifeLock is their prioritization of cybersecurity. They’re one of the few identity theft protection services on the market today to offer a full suite of protections, including password vaults, antivirus software, and even access to a virtual private network. This is great news for parents with children who are active online — you can better protect your kids by deploying these features.
Did You Know? A Virtual Private Network spoofs the location of your internet-connected advice by routing traffic through encrypted channels. This means your web traffic and IP addresses can’t be tracked.
LifeLock also has a tool to help parents with kids who are learning virtually or spending time online. Called “School Time,” this parental control feature helps kids stay focused on their work by only allowing access to an approved list of websites during designated hours. We used it to check in throughout the day and make sure our kids stayed focused on the task at hand while taking online tutoring classes.
LifeLock has the capability to monitor a lot of our personal information.
LifeLock offers a tremendous amount of services through nearly as many different plans. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make it easy to compare them all side by side. We had to navigate multiple pages to find the best subscription for us. Don’t worry, you won’t have to suffer through the same ordeal. We’ve gathered all the information and put it in one place so you can find the best LifeLock plan for your family.
| Identity monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit monitoring | 1-bureau or 3-bureau |
| Insurance | Up to $3 million |
| Free trial |
30 days (standalone LifeLock plans) 7 days (LifeLock-Norton 360 bundles) |
| Money-back guarantee |
60 days (long-term plans) 14 days (monthly plans) |
Identity Guard is one of the best-rated identity theft protection services for families on the market today. And for good reason. Their proactive approach, extensive list of services, and affordable pricing make Identity Guard an attractive option from all angles.
It’s no secret that we love Identity Guard. They’ve been around for more than two decades and they’ve spent that time refining their approach to identity protection. Identity Guard uses advanced AI-powered technology to stay one step ahead of fraudsters and protect your family against the ever-evolving threats of identity theft.
Did You Know? Artificial Intelligence is helping protect families by making identity theft services smarter. By analyzing billions of data points, patterns emerge, and protections can be built to respond to threats as they evolve.
One of the best things about Identity Guard’s family plans is that they cover everyone living in your household. Just have a new baby? They’re covered. Do Mom and Dad live in the mother-in-law suite out back? Yep, they’re covered, too.
And this coverage is extensive. When we reviewed Identity Guard, we found they offered triple-bureau credit monitoring, financial account alerts from all angles, change of address monitoring, and home title watches. We even did a risk assessment for every family member to learn about their behaviors and habits. It can help address issues that hackers will exploit.
The results of our risk assessment.
Identity Guard has three plans for the family, but we recommend the Ultra subscription. It includes the most thorough monitoring features and credit monitoring services. The Ultra plan also comes with White Glove Fraud Resolution, which comes in handy if anyone falls victim to identity theft.
| Identity monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit monitoring | 1-bureau or 3-bureau (except Value plan) |
| Insurance | Up to $1 million |
| Free trial | No |
| Money-back guarantee | 60 days (long-term plans) |
Experian IdentityWorks comes from one of the major credit monitoring bureaus, which means the financial monitoring is second to none. It’s also a great option for larger families. Experian IdentityWorks’ family plan covers up to 10 children and includes identity monitoring for everyone. There are also a bunch of other unique services like court records alerts, dark web surveillance, and dedicated fraud resolution support, to name a few.
While testing IdentityWorks, we found not only solid core protections but also access to a robust set of financial monitoring and planning tools. Experian IdentityWorks really runs the gamut in this regard. They offer everything from payday loan monitoring to large balance change alerts. These protections are especially valuable for families with complex financial histories or those recovering from financial hardships.
IdentityWorks offers advice on how to improve your FICO scores and credit history.
IdentityWorks is also an excellent option for single-parent families — especially those with multiple children. Experian structures their services so that one adult can purchase a plan for themselves and their kids, or include a partner as well. This flexibility is important, and something we commend Experian IdentityWorks for offering.
Did You Know? It’s important to review your credit reports every year. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that one in five adults has an error on one or more reports that may be negatively impacting their score.
IdentityWorks also offers quite a few protections like social media monitoring and resources like credit score tracking and financial planning to help families stay safe and on the right track. To learn more about these offerings, you can read our guide to Experian IdentityWorks costs.
| Identity Monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit Monitoring | 3-bureau |
| Insurance | $1 million |
| Free Trial | 7 Days |
| Money-back guarantee | None |
Allstate has been protecting families for over 90 years. Its identity theft monitoring service can go head to head with the best in the business for comprehensive fraud protections. We found that Allstate excels at protecting families against cybercrime through advanced dark web and social media monitoring, and student loan monitoring. They also offer a Digital Footprint tool that helps you visualize your family's web activity so you can spot threats before they escalate.
Besides offering standard protections like Social Security number monitoring and credit monitoring, Allstate has stepped up to the cybercrime challenge with smart protections and digital tools to keep families out of the clutches of fraudsters. At the top of that list is Allstate’s unique Digital Footprint tool, which charts your family’s online activity visually and provides data breach alerts and tips for keeping sensitive information safe.
FYI: If your 10-year-old’s brand-new Gmail address starts showing up in places it doesn’t belong, Allstate’s Digital Footprint tool will alert you.
While this may feel a bit like snooping, it’s actually a very good thing. Your child’s personally identifiable information is an extremely valuable commodity on the dark web, as this type of theft may go unnoticed and thus unreported for years, giving thieves carte blanche to ruin their credit. So when your child is old enough to purchase their first car and they have clean credit thanks to Allstate, they’ll have you to thank for it.
Speaking of kids, Allstate’s idea of family is generous, covering up to 10 family members, including college-aged children and seniors. This extended coverage is a big perk in our book because, as with every other nasty species of fraud, senior fraud and college ransomware attacks are overlooked by many identity theft protection providers.
| Dark Web Monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit Protection | Yes |
| Family Plans | Yes |
| Insurance Coverage | $1 million |
| Free Trial | 30-Day |
| Guarantee | None |
IdentityForce (now a TransUnion brand) boasts a solid list of features with some surprises to boot, like access to a virtual private network, a credit score simulator, and credit freeze functionality. While there are only two plans to choose from, it's clear what's in and what's out. But the good news is that the core features like personalized action plans after a theft and fraud monitoring are available in both packages.
Right off the bat, IdentityForce does an excellent job with what we consider to be the primary functions of any identity theft protection service — financial account monitoring, multiple-bureau credit reporting, dark web scanning, it’s all there, and it all works really well. For more information on that, check out our in-depth IdentityForce analysis. For the purposes of this guide, though, we’re going to be looking at why they’re a great choice for families.
First of all, they offer identity monitoring for an unlimited number of children, making it a great option for bigger families on a budget. Additionally, the child credit activity monitoring covers up to ten children, which should suit most families.
IdentityForce’s family plans also do a great job of monitoring the social media accounts of everyone included in the plan. This is particularly valuable for parents of socially-active teens who want to protect their kids online without being overly intrusive.
Did You Know? The Federal Trade Commission found that identity theft for children is a growing problem. Three-percent of all identity theft reports for the first half of 2024 were for children under the age of 19. This is up from two-percent in previous years.1
| Identity monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit monitoring | 3-Bureau |
| Insurance | Up to $2 million |
| Free Trial | 30-Day |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes (prorated) |
Zander is our wild card. That’s because its lack of credit monitoring, even in the premium tier, really threw us off. Instead, Zander focuses on proactive privacy protection and robust identity monitoring. We still think you need credit monitoring, but we can't argue with Zander's reporting of a 100-percent restoration success rate.
Like we said above, Zander doesn’t offer credit protections. If that’s important to you, they might not be a good fit. That said, though, Zander has some pretty powerful protections on the privacy side of things. Financial fraud, medical ID theft, tax fraud, social security fraud, employment fraud… the list goes on and on.
Did You Know? One of the ways medical ID theft occurs is when a fraudster gains access to your medical identity to file phony insurance claims in your name. This can lead to your insurance premiums skyrocketing, or losing medical coverage altogether.
Zander’s next big selling point is two-fold. Not only does Zander offer coverage for an unlimited number of children, the coverage is extremely affordable, with its top plan costing just $22 per month. If you wanted to protect your family from identity theft but didn’t think you could afford the expense, now you might be able to reconsider.
Another thing we love about Zander is their focus on recovery. Not only will the company reimburse you up to $1 million in stolen funds, but Zander will also check in with you in three years to make sure you don’t become the victim of identity theft again.
To get a better understanding of what Zander brings to the table, you should peruse our breakdown of Zander’s services, plans, and pricing. It might be the best choice for you and your family.
| Dark Web Monitoring | Yes |
|---|---|
| Credit Protection | Yes |
| Family Plans | Yes |
| Insurance Coverage | $1 million |
| Free Trial | None |
| Guarantee | None |
Identity theft doesn't happen in isolation. When a criminal gains access to one family member's personal information, they often use it as a gateway to steal data from other household members. With children and the elderly being prime targets of identity thieves, comprehensive family coverage is essential in our opinion.
That said, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what protections are best when you're looking to keep the whole family safe. With dozens of identity theft protection services available on the market today, how can you decide which product is right for you? We recommend starting with our in-depth identity theft protection guide to understand the fundamentals and key features to prioritize.
When you’re shopping around for identity theft protection services, there are a few core features you should be on the lookout for. We always recommend plans that offer triple-bureau credit monitoring, financial account alerts, and dark web scanning. Beyond that, though, it’s really a matter of deciding which features work best for your situation.
For example, do you have a teenager in the house that likes to spend a lot of time online? You might want to consider a service that offers social media monitoring. Does your family always have the latest and greatest new gadgets? Look for a service that offers cybersecurity protections and device security. Are you recovering from financial hardship or looking to rebuild your credit? There are plenty of services on the market that offer financial planning tools and resources.
The key is understanding your family's specific risk factors and finding coverage that addresses them.
Pro Tip: If you’re a planner, you’ll like this strategy. Choose an identity theft protection plan that comes with full restoration features. This way, if you happen to fall victim to identity theft, you’ll have a dedicated service team who can help you restore your credit, recover stolen funds, navigate all the paperwork, and the list goes on.
They're serious. Choosing not to protect your family from identity theft puts everyone at risk — from immediate financial damage to long-term credit destruction that can follow your children into adulthood.
Some forms of identity theft are quick — someone steals your credit card information and uses it to make a few large purchases, maxing you out and stressing you out. However, others unfold slowly over years, and these pose the greatest threat. For instance, identity thieves targeting children can accumulate massive credit card debt, secure loans, and open utility accounts under your child’s name.
With that in mind, it's important to take family protection seriously. Identity theft continues to grow as a threat, and assuming your family is immune puts everyone at risk. Protect yourself and your family today.
As the growing threat of identity theft becomes more apparent to more consumers, many people (and families!) are wondering how they can best protect themselves. The bad news is that identity theft can happen to anyone, but the good news is that with a little extra vigilance and an identity theft protection service offering monitoring support, you can dramatically decrease the likelihood you’ll become a victim.
We recommend subscribing to Aura, which can protect everyone in your household, whether they’re a teen or a senior. Identity Guard is another excellent option thanks to its state-of-the-art AI. You can also count on LifeLock, IdentityWorks, Allstate, IdentityForce, and Zander to monitor everything from dark web leaks to social media scams. No matter which one you choose, you can rest assured that everyone in the family is in safe hands.
Once thieves gain access to your personal information, they can wreak havoc on your finances. They might open fraudulent accounts, drain your bank account, or rack up charges on unauthorized credit cards. In 2024 alone, these crimes caused over $12 billion in losses for Americans.2 Choosing a service with the right tools can help you avoid becoming a part of these statistics. Here are the key features and extras to consider:
These nine digits can be used in nefarious ways — ways that can take a toll on your family. Fortunately, most identity theft protection services for families now offer SSN Monitoring. This feature scours the internet to ensure your family’s digits don’t fall into the wrong hands. If a criminal does get a hold of your SSN, you’ll be immediately alerted.
The bad news is that the ‘dark web’ is a hotbed of non-stop criminal activity. The good news is that many identity theft protection family plans include Dark Web Monitoring — a sophisticated feature that searches for your family’s sensitive information on dark websites, chat rooms, databases, etc. Safeguarding your family is always a top priority.
How much sensitive information do children share online? It’s hard to know as they live, eat, and breathe in the digital age. And a first stop for fraudsters is straight to social media platforms to scrape this personal data. Look for a Social Monitoring feature, and get timely alerts when your family’s privacy is at risk.
Identity theft restoration is one road you do not want to travel alone. Even with the best identity theft service for families, fraud still happens. So the question becomes: now what? Identity Restoration, that’s what. This feature puts a team of dedicated experts in your corner to restore your family’s identity to pre-fraud status. You’ll hardly need to lift a finger.
Victims of identity theft pay a steep price. That is, if they don’t have Identity Theft Insurance. This feature could easily pay for itself a thousand times over if anyone in your family is targeted. You, your spouse, your children — even your elderly parents — can get up to $1 million in coverage. Talk about peace of mind.
Identity thieves have countless tricks up their sleeves, one of which is to divert your family’s mail in an attempt to pilfer your personal information. Stop them in their tracks with Address Change Verification. This feature monitors USPS address change requests linked to your identity. If suspicious activity occurs, rest assured you’ll be notified.
The idea of cyberbullying hits all-too-close to home for parents. That’s why certain identity theft protection services for families offer this helpful feature. These alerts go nationwide, so you can rest easy knowing that your child is safe no matter what state, city, or town you live in. Reduce the risk of your child becoming victimized by cyber-bullies online.
Cybercriminals don’t discriminate. If they get their hands on your personal information — or the sensitive info from anyone in your family — they can take out a loan in your name with relative ease. With Loan Application Monitoring, your protection service will monitor credit card and bank account applications, to loans and other financial inquiries and applications.
Low-life criminals often use file sharing networks to acquire personal information from individuals and families alike. Be proactive in safeguarding your family’s good name with this helpful feature. Identity protection services now leverage advanced tech to offer File Sharing Network Searches — an option that monitors popular networks to ensure your information doesn’t surface where it shouldn’t.
CNBC. (2024). Why parents may want to start locking a child’s credit at a very young age.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/23/identity-theft-of-americas-youngest-generation-is-on-the-rise.html
Federal Trade Commission. (2025). New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/03/new-ftc-data-show-big-jump-reported-losses-fraud-125-billion-2024
