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A cybersecurity business known as Surfshark is dedicated to creating solutions for humanized privacy and security. Its products currently include a VPN, Antivirus, Alert (a system for detecting data leaks), Search (a private search engine), and Incogni (an automated method for removing personal data), with more planned.
It started back in 2018 with its VPN, which included multi-platform apps, and it has grown from there, including its identity theft protection package, Surfshark One. Surfshark indicates that it currently has over 300 employees, and its software has over 12.4 million downloads.
Surfshark One: Plans and pricing
There is a 30-day period for a full refund with its money back guarantee. There is also an offer of a 7-day free trial, but you need to do it through one of the phone apps, which offers the option to “Start a free trial.”
There is no option to purchase Surfshark Alert, the cybersecurity protection module as an a la carte offering. Rather, it comes as part of the Surfshark One package.
To understand the pricing for Surfshark One, we need to mention the cost of the Surfshark VPN, which is a pretty good deal with a longer term commitment. While the month-to-month cost of just the VPN at $12.95 is expensive, the annual cost of $3.99/month with a 12 month commitment, and even better at $2.39/month for a 24 month commitment are quite affordable deals.
Surfshark One incorporates the VPN, along with the identity protection of Surfshark Alert, Surfshark Alert, and Surfshark Antivirus. The month-to-month price for Surfhsark One at $14.44 decent considering all of the services, but with a commitment, it becomes a nice deal.
With a 12 month commitment, the effective monthly price comes down to $5.48/month, and for a 24 month commitment, the price is only $2.39/month, which you’ll notice is the exact same price for the VPN alone. However, this very low price is only for the first 25 months, and then it goes up to a stiff affordable $4.98/month.
Surfshark One: Features
While some of these identity theft offerings put identity protection first, with a VPN thrown in as a bonus (but too often no details of the no logs policy or if there is a kill switch), Surfshark One is clearly the opposite. True to its DNA of being a VPN company first and foremost, Surfshark offers a decent VPN, with great features that include a choice of protocols including the latest WireGuard protocol, AES 256-bit encryption, an unlimited number of devices, a strict no logs policy with independent auditing. While this all adds up to a solid VPN offering, with a longer commitment the price is quite affordable, but we are evaluating Surfshark One from the perspective of an identity theft app, and not just a VPN, which of course can be a useful cornerstone of online protection.
Surfshark One does include, along with the VPN, some other important personal online protection services that include an antivirus scanner, an anonymous search engine, and alerts to let the user know if personal info is compromised. It includes a handful of components such as scanning the Dark Web for your email addresses and if they appear in any breached online databases. Similarly, there are also scans for compromised passwords, your Social Security number, and if your credit card numbers are appearing online. Alerts are provided if any personal info is found, along with quarterly reports.
However, while this information is useful, Surfshark One falls short of a dedicated personal identity service, and we are missing some essential services. This includes any credit monitoring whatsoever, and the better services do it for all three bureaus for any new loans or credit cards. The credit score is another piece of financial information that needs to be checked, and alerts sent if there is a decrease as that can be an early indicator of financial compromise.
Unfortunately, Surfshark One does not provide any information on credit scores or credit monitoring, definitely putting this offering into the category of “Identity protection lite.” Furthermore, there is no mention of assistance with identity restoration should a serious event occur, or any amount of insurance for reimbursement.
Surfshark One: Support
Surfshark does offer support for its product. In the direct offerings, there are two options, namely to send a message via the support portal, or via a chat window. Unfortunately, we did not find a direct phone number which is a shortcoming.
On the self help support options, there is a help center, and it is organized around common topics, such as “How to use Surfshark search?,” and “Setup and installation.” There is also a FAQ, and a blog with regular articles, but we did not find any webinars or ebooks in the help center. Finally, we found a YouTube channel, with helpful videos, which are integrated into the help center.
There are also the expected social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Each channel gets regular media content updates.
Surfshark One: Final verdict
Surfshark One is a bit of a dichotomy, and as it comes as a bundled subscription package of the VPN, and antivirus, and the identity protection, with a few extras even, it becomes a challenge. We like the VPN, which is better than the unbranded VPN’s of most other identity protection services, along with the affordable price, and the 24/7 service.
However, there are some areas that fall short, such as lack of a direct phone number, that the identity protection cannot be purchased as a standalone, and the total lack of credit monitoring. Overall, it makes sense to view Surfshark One as a VPN that offers more with some basic identity protection, but just don’t confuse it with more fuller featured services that offer a more comprehensive package.
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