(SAN FRANCISCO — June 2, 2026) Javelin Strategy & Research today released its 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Identity Protection Services Vendor Scorecard, evaluating 14 identity protection service providers. This year’s findings reveal that the market continues to evolve beyond traditional identity theft protection toward scam prevention, cybersecurity integration, and family-focused protections. However, major gaps remain. No providers offer advanced predictive modeling for socially engineered attack mitigation, and just 21% monitor children’s online gaming risks. Few vendors provide robust social media or dark web cleanup services—services which Javelin deems critical for the future of digital risk resiliency.
The IDPS market has become increasingly complex for consumers to navigate as offerings expand into broader digital protection and cybersecurity services. Consumer investment in IDPS subscriptions has softened, creating new pressure for providers to communicate the value of their protections better.
“The strongest providers are moving beyond reactive alerts to deliver more proactive scam prevention, analytical intelligence, and cyber risk protection,” said Tracy Goldberg, Director of Javelin’s Cybersecurity practice and author of the scorecard report.
Gen Digital, provider of Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus, was named Best in Class for its leadership in comprehensive monitoring, scam protection, authentication, and customer support. The company also ranked highest in four of the scorecard’s five categories, with standout capabilities addressing social media and online gaming risks.
Equifax, provider of ID Watchdog Premium Family, was named an overall Leader for its strengths in child identity theft protection and cybersecurity risk mitigation. Allstate Identity Protection, provider of Blue Family, was also named an overall Leader, recognized for its strong customer support experience and dedicated onboarding assistance for families implementing child protections.
“Identity theft recovery has become too difficult for consumers to navigate alone,” Goldberg added. “As scams and identity threats become more sophisticated, consumers increasingly need real-time human support from identity protection providers to help them navigate today’s emerging cybersecurity risks.”
Javelin’s biannual 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Identity Protection Services Vendor Scorecard is designed to help financial institutions, financial services providers, and IDPS vendors better understand the rapidly evolving identity protection landscape. This year’s scorecard assessment evaluates 14 direct-to-consumer identity protection providers across 185 criteria and five categories: Detection & Monitoring, User Experience, Prevention, Resolution, and Onboarding & Authentication.
###
About Javelin Strategy & Research
Javelin Strategy & Research, part of Escalent Group, helps its clients make informed decisions in a digital financial world. It provides strategic insights to financial institutions including banks, credit unions, brokerages and insurers, as well as payments companies, technology providers, fintechs and government agencies. Javelin’s independent insights result from a rigorous research process that assesses consumers, businesses, providers, and the transactions ecosystem. It conducts in-depth primary research studies to pinpoint dynamic risks and opportunities in digital banking, payments, and fraud & security. Learn more at javelinstrategy.com.
