AllClear ID

AllClear ID, formerly Debix is an identity theft protection and data breach response company. Originally founded as Debix in 2004, AllClear ID uses patented technology to alert customers of potential fraud.^[1] Founder & CEO Bo Holland was granted U.S. Patent No. 7,983,979 for the multi-band, multi-factor authentication design used by AllClear ID.^[2]

According to the AllClear ID website, the company “believes that everyone deserves free identity protection, and is committed to delivering our customers free, helpful and easy to use products and services”.^[3] The company received a significant amount of press following the release of a research study with Carnegie Mellon CyLab on child identity theft in April 2011.^[4]

In May 2011, following the Sony PlayStation Network outage, Sony announced that they would be offering all PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders in the United States one free year of AllClear ID Plus.^[5]

Products

The company currently offers two identity protection products available for online sign up. AllClear ID Free provides fraud detection, AllClear alerts, and monthly reports. The fraud detection feature uses advanced Internet scanning and a partnership with top security research experts to detect and report stolen and compromised data from thousands of sources.^[6][7]

AllClear ID Pro includes an ID Theft insurance policy, credit monitoring for $14.95 a month.^[8] AllClear ID Pro was ranked second overall in Javelin’s Fifth Annual ID Protection Services Scorecard, with Identity Guard placing first.^[9] In the category of Restoration, AllClear ID tied for first alongside Identity Force and Royal. ^[10]

For businesses, AllClear ID offers data breach response solutions including credit monitoring, breach notification, call center support, and AllClear activity reports.^[11]

Child Identity Theft

In April 2011 AllClear ID released a report with Richard Power, a distinguished fellow at Carnegie Mellon University CyLab, on child ID theft data. Using the data supplied by AllClear ID, Power completed the largest report ever done on child identity theft. From the database of over 40,000 children, Power found that 10.2% had someone else using their Social Security numbers. This rate was 51 times greater than the 0.2% rate of identity theft found in adults in the same population.^[12]

Jeff Rossen of the Today Show led a follow-up investigation, interviewing victims of child identity theft. Investigators were able to hunt down the child impostors who were still living and working using a child's Social Security number.^[13]

In July 2011, Holland, along with leaders from the Social Security Administration, Identity Theft 911, The Identity Theft Resource Center, and more, spoke at Stolen Futures, the FTC forum on Child Identity Theft.^[14] There he presented the findings from the CyLab report on child identity theft, as well as findings from follow up data sampling since the report release. ^[15]

In May 2012, AllClear ID released a follow-up report on child ID theft data. The research showed that the rate of victims under the age of 5 doubled since the prior year, with findings that 10.7% of a pool of roughly 27,000 children already had someone else using their Social Security Numbers.^{[16] [17]}

Awards & Recognition

• August 2011 - Awarded "Best in Resolution" by Javelin Strategy & Research^[18]
• February 2012 - Awarded 5 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service including: Customer Service Department of the Year, Contact Center of the Year, Best Use of Technology in Customer Service, Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year (Investigator Christy McCarley), Customer Service Leader of the Year (VP of Customer Services & Chief Investigator Jamie May)^[19]

References