Ask HN: Is identity theft protection service worth it?

A credit freeze is another tool; it prevents potential creditors from extending credit since they won't be able to pull your file to verify your creditworthiness. Temporary unlocks can be done when you need to apply for a loan, etc.

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/06/how-i-learned-to-stop-wor...

Free- block your SS# at the source, http://www.ehow.com/how_6926296_block-social-security-number...

But you also want to have your identity checked for other risks, such as when medical records , email records, address, and existing accounts can be compromised. What is the best detection service? I'm not sure it's Lifelock. I'd compare.

ID theft insurance- pays for the costs of fixing identity breach, and some also offer a person who does the work for you filing all the paperwork and cleaning up damage.

No.

Just register for a free credit monitoring service like Credit Karma/Sesame or a non-free one like Amex CreditSecure.

That's all you need.