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Norton has been synonymous with consumer cybersecurity since 1982, thanks to its flagship antivirus product. However, there’s another Norton offering that is quite popular among security-conscious users: Norton LifeLock.
This identity protection and restoration platform not only monitors your identity for breaches in real time across the wider internet, dark web, and social media, but also helps restore your identity in the event of an incident. With one of the most comprehensive insurance coverages in the industry (up to $3 million), Norton LifeLock has earned a reputation of its own.
In this article, we put Norton LifeLock to the ultimate test, examining its features, interface, user experience, and overall value for money. We also compare it with similar products to determine whether it’s worth the investment.
Norton LifeLock: Plans and pricing
LifeLock’s pricing structure can be confusing at first glance. However, it offers three primary plans to choose from: Core, Advanced, and Total.
The Core plan is the basic option, costing $10.42/month and offering up to $1.05 million in identity theft reimbursement and $25,000 for stolen funds. Besides this, you get identity verification alerts, dark web monitoring, data breach alerts, and social media monitoring, along with its all-new feature, automatic data broker removal. You also get two-bureau credit monitoring, along with one monthly credit report and score, making it ideal for individuals looking for all-around protection.
Next is the Advanced plan, which costs $16.67/month. Along with everything included in the Core plan, you get an additional $5,000 in scam reimbursement and scam support. Besides this, you get three-bureau credit monitoring, along with annual three-bureau credit reports and scores. For an additional cost of around $5, this is a good option for those who need more comprehensive credit monitoring.
Advanced plans are also available for families, allowing you to protect up to two adults for $30/month, or two adults and 10 children for $40/month.
However, just like IdentityForce, there is no option to cover more than two adults, for which you’ll have to look at alternatives such as Aura, which gives you the option to protect up to five adults at a cost of $32/month.
Lastly, there is the Total plan, which costs $29.17/month and offers $3 million in identity theft reimbursement and up to $1 million for stolen funds. This plan also includes features like home title monitoring and phone takeover monitoring, along with 401(k) investment account alerts and bank account takeover alerts.
Besides all this, Norton also offers all-in-one plans where you can get LifeLock bundled with Norton 360 for $8.33/month (Select Plan), which includes security for up to five devices, along with one of the best VPNs we have tested. There is also an Ultimate Plus plan at $25/month with more comprehensive coverage.
Lastly, Norton LifeLock offers a 30-day free trial, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee, essentially letting you test the service for up to 90 days before you have to commit to it.
Norton LifeLock: Features
LifeLock offers all the basic identity and privacy protection tools you would expect, such as identity verification alerts, dark web monitoring, which scans the dark web for your stolen information, data breach alerts, which instantly notify you if any of your information is found online, and comprehensive social media monitoring.
LifeLock is also known for its robust credit and financial protection, which includes daily, monthly, and annual credit reports and scores (depending on your plan), along with comprehensive three-bureau credit monitoring.
A rather unique feature of LifeLock is its automatic data broker removal service, which scans top data brokers for your information and submits automatic opt-out requests every 90 days. This way, you don’t have to manually look for your data on these broker sites, making it easier to manage publicly available information about you.
LifeLock offers one of the most comprehensive insurance and reimbursement packages in the industry. You can get up to $3 million in reimbursement for identity theft incidents, including reimbursement for funds stolen from your bank, investment, and credit accounts, reimbursement for legal costs incurred while recovering your identity, and reimbursement for personal expenses such as lost wages or childcare costs following an identity theft incident.
Besides all this, there is also additional scam reimbursement of up to $10,000, which covers losses incurred due to online scams such as phishing, fake investment portals, and fake shopping sites that result in financial loss.
LifeLock also features a handy Credit Lock feature, which allows you to lock and unlock your credit file with TransUnion directly from its dashboard with just a single click. When you lock your credit, no one can open a new line of credit or an account in your name without your approval.
A good practice is to keep Credit Lock enabled when you’re not actively looking for loans and unlock it only when needed. You also get dedicated identity restoration specialists on all LifeLock plans to assist you in the event of identity theft.
Norton LifeLock: Interface
One key aspect of LifeLock’s interface is its simplicity. The layout is clean and uncluttered, with each feature clearly labeled and easy to find. This simplicity makes it easy for users, especially beginners, to navigate.
As soon as you log in to your dashboard, you’ll see all the feature options listed on a sleek panel on the left-hand side, while the main dashboard contains information cards highlighting your key identity details. At the top is the Alerts section, where you can find any new identity breaches detected by LifeLock.
You can also view your credit scores and manage your Identity Locker directly from the main dashboard. The interface is also pretty visually appealing, and the platform features a modern, minimalist design that’s both attractive and professional.
Norton LifeLock: The competition
Norton LifeLock is one of the most affordable identity protection tools available, starting at just $10.42/month. That said, it still might not be the most cost-effective choice if your main concern is credit monitoring. For instance, you’ll have to pay $29.17/month for three-bureau credit monitoring with Norton LifeLock, whereas the same service is available for just $19.95/month with IDShield.
Other features are also quite similar across both platforms, with a few exceptions. For example, you do not get data broker removal with IDShield, but you do benefit from a VPN, password manager, and malware and ransomware protection.
Similarly, if you’re looking to protect a family of more than two adults, LifeLock might not be the ideal choice. In that case, a provider like Aura may offer better value for money, with its family plan costing $32/month. You also get $5 million in identity theft insurance with Aura, compared to Norton’s $3 million, along with AI-powered spam call and message protection, advanced parental controls, and digital account cleanup.
Norton LifeLock: Support
All LifeLock plans provide round-the-clock live support with a virtual advisor and phone support.
While there’s no chat, email, or support portal, the top-tier plan offers special identity consultations, which offer expert advice and guidance to users dealing with potential identity theft, fraud, and cyberthreats.
While there are plenty of blog articles and answers to frequently asked questions, we would’ve definitely loved to see some explainer videos, whitepapers and webinars as well.
Norton LifeLock: Final verdict
Norton LifeLock is one of the best identity protection tools available, especially if you’re an individual looking for all-around protection that includes monthly credit monitoring. Along with essentials such as social media monitoring, identity verification alerts, data breach alerts, and dark web monitoring, it also offers standout features like automatic data broker removal, which automatically submits opt-out requests to popular data brokers on your behalf.
Besides this, LifeLock offers one of the most comprehensive identity theft insurance packages, with reimbursement amounts going as high as $3 million, along with an additional $10,000 in scam reimbursement.
That said, LifeLock may not be ideal for family protection, as it can only cover up to two adults. For coverage beyond this, you would need to consider other options such as Aura. Additionally, three-bureau credit monitoring can be expensive, as it is only available on the Total plan starting at $29.17/month. Cheaper options, such as IDShield, offer comparable services at a lower cost.
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