How to protect yourself from the M&S, Harrods, and Co-op cyberattacks

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Anti-ID theft tools are available, and you should use them

Shop front and sign of UK retailer M&S on low lit high street
(Image credit: Bloomberg / Getty Images)

The recent cyberattacks on UK retailers have shown how no one is 100% safe from hackers and highlighted the pressing need for effective cybersecurity protections.

Tools like the best VPNs are great at protecting your online privacy, but they aren't always the most useful tools when dealing with a data breach.

Data breaches can be scary – especially when they aren't your fault – and, understandably, you may be worried about potential repercussions.

But don't panic, there are tools available to help protect against data breaches, ID theft, and scams. ID theft protection services are available – and some of our top-rated VPN providers come bundled with them.

Graphic of Surfshark Alt ID in use on a phone

(Image credit: Surfshark)

Surfshark's Alternative ID

We rate Surfshark as the best cheap VPN, with plans starting at $1.99 per month, and it's also the fastest VPN we've tested.

Surfshark has an effective antivirus, but the Alternative ID feature is what we'll be highlighting here.

Alt ID allows you to generate a fake online persona, protecting your true identity as a result. You can generate a name, age, gender, address, and email – perfect for signing up to newsletters, websites, or anything else you'd rather not share your information with.

Alt ID is free with all Surfshark VPN plans and you can delete and create a persona as many times as you like.

Surfshark: our top-rated cheap VPN$1.99 per month

Surfshark: our top-rated cheap VPN
Surfshark is a great cheap VPN and is the fastest we've tested. It doesn't quite have as many features as other providers, but Alt ID is a unique and handy tool for hiding your personal data online, and comes free with every Surfshark plan. The 2-year deal works out at $1.99 per month ($53.73 plus tax up front). You get 3 extra months of protection for free and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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While there's nothing stopping you from signing up to membership cards or buying items online, you might want to check the terms of service of the company you're signing up with – just to double check you aren't breaking any rules by using Alt ID.

What you can't generate is bank details. So if you're required to enter this information, it has to be your genuine details and they won't match your generated ID.

Only Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, and the U.S. can be used as your Alt ID location, which may be a problem when signing up for services outside these regions like the UK.

Despite a few drawbacks, Alt ID is still an excellent free tool for hiding your personal details online, protecting yourself from hackers, and reducing spam. If this data is breached or compromised, you won't be harmed and you can simply delete the alias and create a new one.

Surfshark also offers Alternative Number. This allows you to generate a dummy phone number, linked to your Alt ID, that can receive calls and text messages. Alt Number is a paid add-on for all Surfshark plans.

NordProtect "file a claim" feature being used on smartphone

(Image credit: NordProtect)

NordVPN's NordProtect

NordVPN offers a complete cybersecurity package in the form of NordProtect. This collection of ID protection features is only available for U.S. subscribers and is included in the NordVPN Prime plan or can be purchased as a standalone product.

There's identity theft insurance of up to $1 million, and $100,000 in cyber extortion insurance, plus a dedicated ID theft case manager. Alongside this, the dark web will be monitored for appearances of your personal details and there's credit assistance.

At $6.99 per month ($188.73 plus tax up front), NordVPN Prime is NordVPN's most expensive offering, but if you're happy to spend the money it's worth it.

NordPrime: total cybersecurity protection$6.99 per month

NordPrime: total cybersecurity protection
NordVPN is our top-rated VPN and NordPrime is its most expensive offering. It offers total cybersecurity protection and you get all the benefits of NordVPN and Threat Protection Pro, as well as NordProtect. You can protect and monitor your data and access up to $1 million in cyber insurance but it's only available to U.S. users. The 2-year plan comes to $6.99 per month ($188.73 plus tax up front). There's an extra 3 months of protection included for free and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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This level of protection is not available to users outside the U.S., but NordVPN has just introduced ID theft recovery protection to its NordVPN Ultimate plan for those in the UK.

Up to £5,000 is available to reimburse any losses incurred, as well as scam protection but not much else. For the price (£5.09 per month) it falls a little short, especially when compared to the U.S. offering. But if you're happy to pay, it's better than nothing.

Although it doesn't directly protect against ID theft, NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro is the best VPN malware protection out there and is very effective at identifying scam or phishing links that may arise from a data breach. Threat Protection Pro, as well as the NordPass password manager, is included in all NordVPN plans except NordVPN Basic.

Cartoon person protecting their information using ExpressVPN

(Image credit: ExpressVPN)

ExpressVPN's Identity Defender

ExpressVPN also includes a form of identity theft protection, Identity Defender. It's similar to NordProtect and only available to U.S. ExpressVPN subscribers. Up to $1 million of cyber insurance is on offer and Credit Scanner helps protect your credit score.

ID Alerts monitors the web for your data and the data removal service requests the deletion of this data from data brokers.

Identity Defender is included in the 2-year ExpressVPN plan for American subscribers only and, working out at $4.99 per month ($139.72 up front), it's cheaper than NordVPN Prime. But unfortunately, this is of no help to those in the UK looking to protect their data.

ExpressVPN: the best choice for beginners$4.99 per month

ExpressVPN: the best choice for beginners
ExpressVPN is simple and easy to use, making it a great choice for beginners. ExpressVPN's Identity Defender is its data and theft protection feature, with a data removal service, cyber insurance, and credit monitoring on offer. Everything is included in ExpressVPN's 2-year deal, which equates to $4.99 per month ($139.72 up front). Right now there's an extra 4 months of protection thrown in for free, as well as the usual 30-day money-back guarantee. But it's worth remembering that Identity Defender is only available in the U.S.

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Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

George Phillips
George Phillips
Staff Writer

George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. Outside of work, George is passionate about music, Star Wars, and Karate.

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