Best Internet Security Tools To Keep Your Family Safe Online

We researched and found the best online safety tools to keep you and your family safe.
Best for preventing identity theft
IDShield
IDShield
  • pro
    Monitors for stolen personal information
  • pro
    Provides identity restoration
  • pro
    Can be used on up to 3 devices
Best for safe online shopping
Nord VPN
NordVPN
  • pro
    Prevents data collection
  • pro
    Uses double encryption
  • pro
    Can be used on up to 6 devices
Best for protecting kids online
Bark
Bark
  • pro
    Monitors social media
  • pro
    Monitors website use
  • pro
    Can be used on up to 6 devices
Best for forgetful people
NordPass
  • pro
    Saves passwords
  • pro
    Saves credit card info
  • pro
    Can be used on up to 6 devices
Best for preventing spies
Bitdefender
Bitdefender Total Security
  • pro
    Monitors mics
  • pro
    Protects cameras
  • pro
    Can be used on up to 5 devices
pro

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We all love social media, apps, and everything that comes with being online. But all those things come with a heap of problems. How do you keep track of all those passwords? How do you keep your kid from stumbling across terrible videos? How do you keep thieves from grabbing your personal information and stealing your identity?

If these questions keep you up at night, we’ve got the solution. We researched the best internet safety tools to fix just about any online problem.

A quick look at the best internet security services

Product
Best for
Price
Best feature
Learn more
Best for identity theft protectionIdentity restoration services
Best for safe online shoppingEncrypts data twice
Best way to keep your kids safe onlineMonitors emails
Best for forgetful peopleSaves information across devices
Best for preventing spiesProtects cameras and mic

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

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Our picks for best internet security tools

Best way to prevent identity theft: IDShield

Best way to prevent identity theft

Hackers can use little bits and pieces of information you share online to steal your identity. One of those silly get-to-know-you-better quizzes on Facebook can give hackers all the information they need to take out credit cards in your name , gain access to online accounts, and more. The best way to protect yourself from someone stealing your identity is to sign up for identity theft protection.

Our top pick for identity theft protection is IDShield. It scans online sites and credit reports to find any suspicious activity. If it finds anything fishy, IDShield sends you an alert.

The best thing is, if you need help, you’ve got it, 24/7. Plus, they offer licensed private investigators to fix whatever was done with your information. If your identity is stolen while you’re a member, and IDShield can’t fix it, you’re insured for $1 million.

In addition to identity theft monitoring, your plan comes with cybersecurity, too. You get  anti-malware protection, password monitoring, and lost device coverage for up to three devices.

Want to protect a spouse or your kids too? Family plans start at $29.95 per month.

Best for safe online shopping: NordVPN

Best for safe online shopping

From your favorite shopping site to social media apps, just about everything online collects your data using cookies. From your location to information about your favorite products, it seems nothing about you is safe. VPNs, or virtual private networks, encrypt your data and IP address. That means your information is hidden from any third-party snoopers.

After researching VPN providers, we find NordVPN to be the best. It provides military-grade encryption and uses double encryption, just in case.

Our favorite part is how newbie-proof it is. Even if you’ve never heard of a VPN before today, you can use NordVPN without worry. For example, if you lose connection to the VPN, it automatically kills your connection to the internet so no personal data (like your location or an email address) leaks by accident.

NordVPN also hides those annoying pop-up ads and prevents malware infections. Just one subscription protects up to six devices.

Light Bulb

Got, like, a freaking bunch of devices?  We recommend using SurfShark. With one membership, this VPN covers unlimited devices.

Best way to keep your kids safe online: Bark

Best way to keep your kids safe online
Bark
$11.99/mo.

 *Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

From sharing inappropriate photos, to talking to strangers, kids can get up to some questionable and sometimes dangerous shenanigans online. As parents, we want to be able to stand over their shoulders and monitor everything they do on their devices, but then dinner would never get made . Plus, your kiddo would probably hate you watching them.

That’s where parental control apps come in. They give you full control over how your tot or teen uses their phones or tablets. Our top pick for watching everything your small fry does online is Bark. Bark monitors where your kid goes online, their text messages, emails, and more.

Thumbs Up
A phone made for kids

If your kid doesn’t have a phone yet, you can get a Samsung Galaxy phone with Bark built in. Here’s our Bark phone review for more details.

All of the information goes to an app on your device. Even better, you can set time limits on how long your child can use social media or cruise the web. Don’t like a certain website or app? You can block it from your kid’s phone. Plus, you can see if your child is getting cyberbullied by looking at their emails and text messages.

Worried about the implications of spying on your kid? Consider this: According to Bark, its app has detected 3.1 million bullying situations and 1.2 million self-harm situations.

Checklist
On a budget?

Qustodio offers parental controls without a monthly fee. See our Qustodio review and learn how Qustodio compares to Bark.

Best for forgetful people: NordPass

Best for forgetful people

Probably the most infuriating thing about doing anything online is keeping track of all your passwords. They need to be so darn complex, and you’re supposed to have a different password for every single app and website. There’s no way we normal humans can do it.

Thankfully, we don’t have to. NordPass saves all of your passwords for you and keeps them secure so no one else can access them. It also saves your credit card information, so you don’t need to whip out a card every time every time you impulse buy something from a late-night TikTok ad..

Maybe the best part is NordPass saves all that information and lets you use it on any of your devices. Well, maybe not all. One subscription covers six devices, so if you have more than that, it automatically logs you out from one of your other devices. That’s no biggie, though, when you consider how much frustration this affordable little service saves you.

Best for preventing spies: Bitdefender Total Security

Best for preventing spies

While Bitdefender Total Security is aces for protecting your devices from malware and other icky computer invaders, we particularly like how it puts the kibosh on spies. Yep, that’s right. It monitors your device’s mic and camera to ensure nobody listens in when your spouse asks for the last four digits of your social security number (again)  or watches you when you're less than dressed.

Learn more in our Bitdefender review, and check out all our picks in our best antivirus software review.

FAQ

Pretty common. The FTC received 1.4 million reports of identity theft cases in just the first quarter of 2023. According to the National Council on Identity Theft Protection, the number of identity theft cases has nearly tripled in the last decade.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, some signs to look out for include:

  • Your child seems depressed or sad.
  • Their grades drop.
  • Your child becomes upset while using their devices or right after.
  • Your child doesn’t seem to like activities they typically enjoy.
  • They don’t want to go to school or start to dislike classes.

Here are some more tips to keep your kids safe from cyberbullying.

There are several steps to take:

  • Watch for unusual charges from your bank account and credit cards.
  • Use a service like IDShield that monitors if your information is being shared online, provides identity theft coverage, and cleans up any problems.
  • File a fraud report with a credit reporting agency like Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
  • Change the passwords to all of your important accounts.

It’s not too risky, as long as you take steps to protect yourself. Make sure you use strong passwords and only shop at sites with encryption (it should have a closed lock in front of the web address).

Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina is a safety and security expert that has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Her activities aren’t nearly as dangerous today. Her hobbies include fixing up her 100-year-old house, doing artsy stuff, and going to the lake with her family.

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