What do identity management services do? 

Unlike the bare bones support offered to victims of consumer credit card theft, identity management services bring together a more effective holistic strategy using both proactive and reactive approaches. Employees receive education about protecting their identities using proven techniques, and they are shown how to identify the early warning signs of potential fraud. Information about emerging threats and scams is also provided to employees to ensure they have the knowledge and tools necessary to avoid becoming a victim. 

A robust identity management services plan includes tracking across the web to quickly spot if employees' personal data appears for sale online or if their protected information is being used without authorization. Fraud monitoring is also offered as a way to stay in front of potential changes to an employee's credit file, with requests to open new accounts or alter existing accounts flagged for immediate follow-up. 

In addition, a resolution center gives employees access to a broad team of experts, including fraud specialists and document recovery professionals, who can help guide individuals and families through the process of resolving suspicious activity associated with their identities and rebuilding their lives if fraud or theft occur. 

Presenting identity management services to your clients benefits everyone 

There are a variety of places where individuals can obtain identity management services. Memberships in everything from frequent flyer associations to warehouse purchasing clubs often provide an avenue to consumer-grade protection plans. But benefits brokers, employers, and consultants gain extra value when they offer identity management services to their workforce clientele. Not only are agents able to augment their revenue streams with the addition of a product that is very much in demand, their employer clients can take advantage of the opportunity to improve employee retention and loyalty by providing workers with peace of mind and trusted protection. 

Businesses also gain through the increased productivity employees are able to maintain when their focus remains on work rather than worrying about whether they may become a victim of fraud as a result of the latest mega-breach. In Target's massive exposure during the 2013 holiday shopping season, an estimated 40 million payment card numbers were stolen. A short time later, the retailer revealed that 70 million records containing guest data were also compromised. How many employees spent time at work sifting through their credit card transactions trying to remember if they made purchases at Target during the nearly three-week span of time that the company's systems were unsecured? Similarly concerning to employees are the many millions of records already exposed through breaches at various health care provider organizations and government agencies. Every breach brings new cause for worry. 

Proactive identity management and education bring long-term value 

A strong support system that includes education and proactive identity management can make all the difference for employees as well as their employers. If someone is having difficulty — whether they're going through a divorce or a member of their family had their identity stolen — that employee's mind is not on their job. And though the Federal Trade Commission and others offer self-service tools designed to help individuals resolve identity theft problems on their own, their usefulness (and usability) often falls short. 

A team of professionals with a deep background in crisis management and fraud resolution, along with a host of educational resources at the leading edge of the threat landscape, give employees the level of support they need to not only work through the problems posed by identity theft, but also to be secure in the knowledge that their identities are safe.