ExpressVPN now protects you against identity theft – and you can get it for free

The Identity Defender suite is now available only for users in the US

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Users of thisbest VPNapp can now secure their online identity with a new suite of protection tools – and it can be yours without spending a penny.

ExpressVPNhas just launched Identity Defender, a security bundle that includes three distinct solutions: an identity theft alert, cyber insurance, and data removal service. These tools are only available for the US market at the time of writing.

As of today, October 30, 2024, the ID suite comes free of charge alongside the feature-packed VPN for all new customers signing up forExpressVPN’s new 2-year plan. More availability is expected to follow suit.

The need for better Identity protection

With digital threats increasingly more widespread and sophisticated, a standalone VPN isn’t enough anymore to protect your privacy when browsing the web.

A VPN, short forvirtual private network, is security software that encrypts all your internet connections to prevent third parties from spying on your online activities. At the same time, it spoofs your real IP address location for better anonymity while granting you access to otherwise geo-restricted content.

VPN providers, ExpressVPN included, have known this for a while. This is exactly why VPNsolutions have evolved over time.

From malware and ad-blocker systems (seeExpressVPN’s Threat Manager) topassword managertools (ExpressVPN Keys), now the focus seems to be on better identity protection.

Data coming from theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) shows, in fact, that the number of identity theft incidents reported in the first half of 2024 (552,000 cases) is set to exceed all reports throughout the 12 months in 2023.

Hence, there’s a growing need for users to take control of their digital identities with easy-to-use tools that both prevent and recover any losses or damages.

How to use ExpressVPN Identity Defender

“Discovering that your personal information has been compromised is stressful enough, but figuring out what to do next can be an even bigger challenge,” said Lauren Hendry Parsons, Digital Privacy Advocate at ExpressVPN.

“With Identity Defender, we aim to provide users with a one-stop solution that not only helps them quickly determine if their information is at risk but also guides them through effective steps to address any issues.”

To do that, the provider has launched three distinctive products that, together, provide a comprehensive solution against all the issues related to identity theft.

How to get ExpressVPN Identity Defender

As mentioned earlier, Express has launched its new Identity Defender suite for US users only at this time.

Parsons told me that’s mainly because of the nature of the product – the United States is one of the countries with the biggest number of victims,according to Statista– coupled with the fact that the US is the provider’s biggest market.

At the time of writing, Identity Defender is also limited to new US users before progressively being rolled out to all subscribers based in the United States. Currently, the provider doesn’t have an exact date for when this is due to take place.

Despite being a security bundle, availability differs between the different tools.

ID Alerts comes free of charge with all new subscription plans, while ID Theft Insurance and Data Removal are included only with ExpressVPN’s new 2-year plan – which TechRadar’s readers can grab with3 months of extra protection for free. Other subscribers need to pay an extra fee to add these products, starting from $4.39 per month.

Platform availability is also limited to its iOS andAndroid VPNapps at the time of writing, with more coming soon.

Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up.She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com

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