Q: I would like to sign up for Identity Guard, but entering my social security number and info seems a little counter-intuitive and causes concern. How do I know this is secure? Is there another way?
A: We applaud your concern about sharing your SSN with others, but in this case your social security number (SSN) is required for Identity Guard to protect you from identity theft. Your SSN, and other unique identifying information, allow Identity Guard to obtain and monitor your credit reports. It also enables them to constantly scan the Internet black market and databases for Social Security fraud or any other illegal or fraudulent use of your SSN.
At this time, you need to sign up online for Identity Guard (you can’t sign up over the phone). However, entering your social security number during sign up is safe, as they use 128-bit encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to completely secure your session. Just make sure you’re using a private computer to do so, and that no one is looking over your shoulder. If you absolutely have to use a public computer to sign up, take precautions against “shoulder surfers” watching you type in your information, log out, and clear your browser cookies afterward.
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