I updated my Aura review because I keep seeing this weird “you don’t need identity theft protection” advice floating around—especially in places like Reddit—while data breaches and credential leaks are basically a weekly event. In this video, I break down what actually matters when criminals target your identity: speed, coverage, and whether the service does real work for you instead of handing you a 37-step checklist and wishing you luck. After 14 months of testing identity theft protection services, Aura still stands out as the fastest and most comprehensive option I’ve used. I cover their three-bureau credit monitoring (on every plan), real-time identity alerts, and dark web monitoring—where Aura found 18 alerts in one test and even caught old Gmail credentials that other services missed. I also explain why data broker removal matters, how Aura automates opt-outs and keeps re-checking because brokers re-add your info, and what “white-glove” restoration looks like when things go wrong (including 24/7 support and staying with you through the process). I also call out a few areas Aura can improve—like antivirus robustness, limited 2FA options, and an overwhelming activity feed—so you get the real picture before you decide.