Set up Identity Protection powered by Norton™

Frequently asked questions

• Will I have the same benefits I had under Identity Watch?

  The Identity Watch service is enhanced by the inclusion of Identity Protection, powered by Norton™, by monitoring a broader range of personal information. This includes monitoring up to 7 social media accounts and 10 gamer tags. Note that you will no longer be able to include your passport or international bank account details. We will work with Norton™ to add passport integration in the future.

• How much does it cost?

  There is no additional cost to access Identity Protection, powered by Norton™, as it will become available as part of your current subscription.

• What is the dark web?

  For cybercriminals dealing in identity theft, the dark web is a place on the internet where they can sell and purchase stolen identities with anonymity. Stolen personal information is used to carry out various fraudulent activities, such as illegally accessing money, buying goods online and opening bank accounts.

• What is identity theft?

  Identity theft is when your personal information is stolen. Personal information includes your name, email, driver’s license and credit or debit card information.

  When multiple pieces of information are stolen and combined, they become more powerful to criminals. Synthetic identity theft is where personal information is used to construct a false profile or replica identity.

  People often don’t realise their personal information has been compromised until, for example:

  • Suspicious transactions appear in their bank statements, accounts or credit report
  • They receive calls from debt collectors asking about unpaid bills
  • They are unsuccessful in applying for credit despite a good credit history
  • Their details are used to fraudulently obtain credit or open new bank accounts, mobile phones or utility accounts
  • Attempts are made to obtain money from their investment or superannuation accounts fraudulently.
• What is a Dark Web Monitoring Notification?

  Dark Web Monitoring, is a service that helps monitor for information on the dark web and notifies you if Norton™ detect your personal information on the dark web. Identity thieves can sell your personal information on hard-to-find dark web sites and forums. The notification that you receive is called a Dark Web Monitoring Notification.

• What is a Baseline Notification?

  When you enroll/subscribe, a one-time historical dark web scan is run looking back to 2008 to determine if the information you provided has been previously exposed. If exposed information is found you will be notifed. This is known as a Historical or Baseline Notification.

• What is a Historical Dark Web Notification that is related to a Retrospective Dark Web Scan?

  Retrospective Dark Web Scan will search for the newly updated/added information looking back to 2008 to determine if this new information you provided has been previously exposed. This type of Dark Web Notification is to inform you that information which may belong to you has been detected and does not require confirmation from you.

• When will I receive notifications after I have entered in my information?

  Once you have entered all the personal information you want to be monitored on the dark web, you are ready to receive notifications, if applicable. These notifications will start to populate into your Dashboard and may take time to arrive as Norton™ scans the dark web. Please note that Dark Web Monitoring automatically defaults to monitoring your account email address and begins immediately.

• What can you do next from the notifications that you receive?

  If you receive an email notification from us you can log in to the portal, go to the Identity Watch alerts section, select the notification, view the notification details for more information. The 'what you can do next' section of the notification details helps provide guidance on the next steps you can take to protect yourself.

• Why am I getting a notification from a breach that happened several months and/or years ago?

  The dark web is where stolen information, such as bank account numbers, and credit card numbers, are sold. The information sold or traded can be in the form of "lists" which can be old, and could even re-appear several months, or years following an exposure of the information. Every time the information reappears or resurfaces on the dark web, you are likely to be notified.

  "Exposed" information does not necessarily mean that your account(s) have been hacked. Given that these lists may be old, it is entirely possible that your login details associated with the website/service in question are no longer current. You may have already changed a password, deactivated your account or unsubscribed from the website or service. Sometimes breached sites deactivate exposed accounts, as well, which may make it difficult to remember or identify an account as belonging to you.

• Am I required to confirm my identity once the Dark Web Monitoring Notification is received?

  You will be notified if information that may belong to you has been detected. These notifications do not require confirmation from you because it is a result of a scan performed on your behalf, and not a result of your activity.

  However, you will be requested to verify your email address, if you receive a ""password combo"" breach notification, where a password associated to your email address was found on the dark web. In the notification details, you will be asked to verify your email address before showing a partially unmasked password. You can still view the rest of the notification details excluding the password before verifying your email address.

• What is the difference between the Exposed Information and the Additional Exposed Information sections within the Dark Web Monitoring Notification?

  Your Dark Web Monitoring Notification displays two types of exposed information. When you enroll/subscribe you provide information and it will be monitored actively. If Norton™ detect this information on the Dark Web, it will be displayed in the Exposed Information section of the Dark Web Monitoring Notification.

  If Norton™ detect other exposed information that may be related to you, you will notified on this as well. Even if you did not provide the specific information to Norton™, it is possible to use the information you have provided to help detect other information that may have been exposed; but since Norton™ have not collected this information from you, you can only be notified that it has been exposed, and not provided any other details. For example, in the case of a healthcare database breach, if you have provided your Insurance Account and Insurance Provider information for monitoring, Norton™ may also be able to notify you of additional data that may have been exposed.

• I don't recognize the website mentioned in my Dark Web Monitoring Notification. How do I know I have used this before?

  There could be several reasons why you may not recognize the website mentioned in a notification. For example, the account may have been created via Facebook or Google log in. Some accounts may be old, and you may not remember having used the website or service. In some instances, you may have provided login details (username/password) for a one-time use, after which you may have never gone back to the website or account again. Sometimes breached sites or services may deactivate exposed accounts which can make it difficult to remember or identify an account as belonging to you.

• What kind of alerts or notifications will I receive if one of my social media accounts were compromised? How does social monitoring work?

  When you add a social account for monitoring, Norton™ performs a historical review of your account for posts or comments that were made in the past 45 days or up to 200 pieces of content, whichever has come first.

  If something inappropriate or risky is detected, you get a notification so that you can keep your accounts safe from cybercriminals. Types of Social Media Monitoring notifications you can receive:

  • Account Takeover Protection: Your account is monitored for settings changes, and suspicious posts to avoid takeover by an identity thief
  • Historical Notification: You receive notification of historical activity in social media account
  • Inappropriate Content: You receive notifications of potential inappropriate activity via email or app
  • Scams or Phishing Protection: Your account is scanned for scam or malware links in the posts
• Does Norton™ share my alert information about potential compromises with third parties?

  No.

• Does Norton™ have access to my social media account passwords for monitoring?

  No, they do not. Social media accounts use authentication provided by the social media provider and are not stored with Norton™.

• What happens if I change my social media password? Would I be required to repeat the linking process?

  Yes, as Norton™ does not store your password, you will need to re-authenticate to the social media account of your choice.

• How do I add my personal information?

  Once Identity Protection, powered by Norton™, is available, you will need to add the details of the personal information you want monitored to your Equifax account. The steps are as follows:

  1. Log in to your account
  2. Go to Identity Watch
  3. Add the details you want monitored
• Do I have to enter my details to be covered?

  Yes. To ensure your details are monitored by the Identity Protection, powered by Norton™, service, you must add your details to your account. If you don’t enter your details, you won’t receive any notification if your details are to be found on the dark web or if your social media accounts are compromised, the earlier you find out if your personal information is compromised, the earlier you can take action and minimise the risk of identity theft.

• What are the methods and technologies Norton™ uses, to identify potential security threats to my information?

  Dark web sites include online marketplaces for buying and selling illicit goods, and that includes personal information that can be used for identity theft, among other things. Norton™ advanced monitoring technology goes beyond easily accessible sites and marketplaces, scanning private forums, the social web, the deep web, and the dark web to detect exposed information.

• How quickly will I be notified after a potential compromise is detected and can I expect any delays in receiving the Alerts?

  Norton™ proactively monitor the dark web and try to notify you within a couple of hours of detecting your information on the dark web. However, the process to uncover this information, extent of what was breached etc. can take a significant amount of time depending on the complexity of the compromised data that was dumped on the dark web.

• Can I customise the notification settings for potential compromises?

  No, notification settings are not customisable.

• Can I link multiple accounts on the same social media platform?

  No, only one account per social media platform can be entered for monitoring.

• Can I link my kids’/family members’ social media accounts?

  No.

• What happens if I already have a Norton™ subscription that includes dark web and social media monitoring?

  Equifax has a range of products that help customers protect their identity and better understand their credit history and credit score. We can help provide a single solution that monitors your identity and alerts you to potential malicious credit applications using your personal information. If you have a current Norton™ subscription that includes dark web and social media monitoring then you don’t need to add further personal information within the Identity Protection, powered by Norton™, feature.

• How does Norton™ monitor the dark web?

  Norton™ goes beyond easily accessible sites and marketplaces, patrolling private forums, social web, deep web, and dark web to detect exposed information and stolen personal data with a combination of people and advanced monitoring technology.

• If I decide to cancel my subscription, how will Norton™ treat my personal data?

  Norton™ will keep your personal data on our systems as long as necessary to provide you with our Services, or for as long as Norton™ have another legitimate business purpose to do so, but not longer than permitted or required by law. When determining the specific retention period, Norton™ takes into account various criteria, such as the type of service provided to you, the nature and length of their relationship with you, and mandatory retention periods provided by law and the relevant statute of limitations. When Norton™ no longer have an ongoing legitimate business reason to keep your personal data, your personal data will either be securely disposed of, or de-identified through an appropriate anonymization means. Please visit the Norton™ Privacy Center for more information.

• What does an Insurance Card refer to?

  With Dark Web Monitoring, different types of insurance and government service orientated data is monitored: government Medicare, private health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance, etc. You can also enter your TFN (Tax File Number) in this section for monitoring.

By taking proactive steps now, you can help safeguard your personal information and protect your identity