The phrase denotes a service provided by Experian, a shopper credit score reporting company, designed to watch the web for situations of non-public info being uncovered. This may embody compromised electronic mail addresses, leaked passwords, or different delicate information discovered on web sites, boards, and the darkish internet. For example, if a person’s electronic mail deal with have been found inside a knowledge breach, the alert system would notify the consumer.
The significance of such a system lies in its proactive method to id theft prevention. Early detection of compromised information permits people to take quick steps to mitigate potential hurt, equivalent to altering passwords, monitoring credit score stories, and inserting fraud alerts. Traditionally, the rise of knowledge breaches and on-line id theft has fueled the demand for companies that present early warnings of potential misuse of non-public info.