Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.
When closely examined, ID Watchdog emerges as a rather ordinary identity theft protection app, situated firmly in the middle of the pack. However, a somewhat longer investigation reveals its affiliation with Equifax, a company notorious for one of the most severe data breaches in recent history. In 2017, a staggering 145.5 million customer records, including sensitive information like names and social security numbers, were compromised. This wealth of data became a treasure trove for hackers operating on the Dark Web, the infamous hub of criminal activity. ID Watchdog, ironically developed by Equifax, aims to provide protection against the very dangers that its parent company inadvertently unleashed.
