Aura Online Offers Data Broker Removals, Password Manager, File Storage, Privacy Assistant & More

• Online & Device Security – 10 Devices
• Premium Identity Theft Protection
• $1M Identity Theft Insurance*
• Financial Fraud Protection
• White Glove Fraud Remediation
• Privacy Assistant
• Vault (1GB)

Couple

The “Couple” level of service protects two users and is priced at $22 per month when paying annually, or $29 per month when paying monthly. “Couple” protections include:

• 2 Adults
• Online & Device Security – 20 Devices (10 per adult)
• Premium Identity Theft Protection
• Up to $2M Identity Theft Insurance* ($1M per adult)
• Financial Fraud Protection
• White Glove Fraud Remediation
• Privacy Assistant
• Vault (2GB)

Family

The “Family” level of service offers protection for two adults and an unlimited number of kids. (YAY! The Brady Bunch is protected!) You’ll pay $37 per month when paying annually, $50 per month if you opt to pay monthly.

I opted for the Family subscription, so I could be sure to have access to all of the services. All of the services I cover here are what is made available on the “Family” subscription level. Look above to determine which features are included in all of the levels.

There is a 14-day free trial, so there is no risk in trying any subscription level. If you opt for an annual subscription, all levels offer a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Antivirus

Aura says its antivirus offering protects against malware, viruses, ransomware, spyware, and more. There are three options when scanning your hard drive.

• Quick scan – Scans folders on your hard drive that are commonly infected by threats.
• Full scan – Scans all of the folders and files on your hard disk. This scan takes more time to complete, as it is scanning your entire directory structure.
• Custom – Scans only the files you select. A custom scan checks on only the selected folders. This comes in handy for scanning external USB sticks or external hard drives.

In practice, Aura’s antivirus can feature performs its tasks fairly quickly. (I have an M1 Mac mini with a 256GB SSD, so to be honest, virus and malware scanning shouldn’t take too long.)

The first time I ran the antivirus scanner it found several files in my documents folder that it automatically quarantined. When I checked these files, I found they were from a WordPress website I had several years ago that had become infected with malware. I had completely forgotten about the files. Once I viewed the quarantine list I was able to delete the quarantined fines, with the option of deleting them one by one or by selecting them all and deleting them.

I run the Malwarebytes malware scanner on a daily basis, so I fully did not expect to find any infected files. So, I was rather impressed that Aura’s antivirus scanner found the infected WordPress files, as they weren’t even native Mac files.

VPN

Aura’s VPN protection works a bit differently than other VPN providers’ services. I’ll say right up front that if you’re looking for a provider to gain access to geo-fenced content from countries around the globe, Aura is not the one for you.

Aura’s VPN has one aim and one aim only, to keep your online activities undercover. The Aura app does not allow you to select a server location. Instead, the app automatically connects to whichever server appears to be best for your current location. This means your content access will be limited to the country you’re in.

That said, if you’re simply looking to prevent outsiders from tracking you online, Aura’s VPN could be sufficient for your needs.

The app immediately connects to a VPN server and protects your online activities from being monitored until you turn it off. While the VPN is enabled, my location shows as me being located somewhere in New York City. (I’m actually located in the southeast part of the United States.)

You shouldn’t see any huge slowdown in your connection speeds while connected to Aura’s VPN servers. My Mac’s normal download speeds usually measure in at around 900 Mbps. While connected to Aura’s servers, I usually saw download speeds of just under 600 Mbps.

Vault (Password Manager, File Storage, Privacy Assistant & Data Broker Removal)

Aura’s Vault feature not only allows users to store and share sensitive files, documents, and passwords with other members on your multi-user account, but it also alerts you when your information is exposed in a data breach or is found on the dark web. In addition, you can also get your information removed from data broker sites, reducing the scam and phishing attempts you’re subject to.

While this feature is quite handy to folks that lack a password manager or secure online storage, I particularly like the feature that automatically gets your information removed from data brokers.

Within hours of signing up for Aura’s services, I began receiving multiple emails informing me that my name has been removed from data brokers’ lists, while also receiving notifications that my email had been included in multiple data breaches. So, if you’re looking to receive fewer emails from various parties, you’ll need to wait a while, because initially, your email volume may increase, as Aura alerts you whenever it requests your information removal or when your information is exposed in a data breach or found on the dark web. 

Safe Browsing

Aura offers safe browsing protection, which is enabled via a Chrome browser extension. The provider’s extension not only blocks malicious websites and online trackers, but it also blocks those pesky online ads. Ads and trackers can not only be enabled on a web-wide basis, but you can also customize the settings for each individual website you visit.

I found that the extension worked well, warning me when I was in danger and taking care of those irritating ads.

Email Alias

It took me way too many years to sign-up for a “disposable” email address to use for contests, surveys, and such to prevent my personal email box from filling up and to prevent my real address from appearing in a data breach.

Aura takes this one step further, as it generates email aliases to hide your real email address to prevent unwanted emails and to reduce your exposure in data breaches.

Spam Call and Message Protection

It seems like every phone call or text message I receive is spam. No, I don’t want to help an African Prince recover his duly earned inheritance and and don’t need a deal on a side of beef, delivered to my home. Aura’s spam call and text blocking is available through the company’s iOS and Android apps.

Aura uses proprietary AI to verify a caller’s details before forwarding a call to you.

Identity Theft Protection

Identity Theft Insurance ($1M per adult)

Aura includes a $1,000,000 insurance policy to cover eligible losses and fees due to identity theft. Righting the wrongs when it comes to identity theft can be both expensive and time-consuming, insurance like this can come in handy in covering those expenses and possibly expensive fraudulent activities on your accounts. Should you believe that you’re the victim of identity theft, you should contact Aura immediately.

White Glove Fraud Resolution

Aura has a US-based White Glove Fraud Resolution team that will help you resolve your identity theft or fraud incidents. They’ll create a remediation plan and guide you through the process until the issue is resolved.

Account Breach Monitoring

Aura will alert you if your registered online accounts have been breached or that information has been found on the Dark Web. For this feature to work properly, you will need to register all of your online accounts, so Aura can monitor all of the accounts for possible data breaches.

SSN and Personal Information Monitoring

Aura will notify you if your personal information (such as passports, SSN, and other personal info) has been exposed on the Dark Web. You’ll find that as part of the sign-up process, you will need to enter your social security number. While many people may be reluctant to do so, entering the info allows Aura to properly monitor for any scoundrels that have gleaned the information.

Home and Auto Title Monitoring

Aura will monitor your home and business property and auto titles for fraud, and will alert you when changes to existing titles are detected. With title fraud on the rise, this is a handy tool to help prevent having your home or vehicle literally stolen out from under you.

Identity Verification Monitoring

Many institutions will ask users to verify their identity before being allowed to access their accounts or perform transactions. The verification generally consists of the user confirming their personal information on an online form, such as entering the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number, answering security questions, and other information that only the users should know. Aura monitors this type of activity, alerting you when your identity is verified in this manner. This allows you to block fraudulent activity before any harm is done.

Criminal and Court Records Monitoring

Criminals often use stolen identities when faced with various illegal offenses. (I know, it’s shocking, right?) Aura monitors public criminal records and notifies you about it. It also notifies you if your name and personal information appear in any state sex offender registries that may compromise your reputation. This helps prevent any nasty surprises if a potential employer checks your background.

Financial Fraud Protection

Three-Bureau Credit Monitoring

Credit monitoring is a must-have tool to keep track of changes to your credit score, allowing you to spot the early signs of fraud. Aura monitors all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion), alerting you to changes in your credit reports.

Credit Lock

This feature allows you to lock or unlock your Experian credit file with a single click. This stops lenders from viewing your credit history and blocks the bad actors of the world from opening new loans and accounts in your name.

Bank Fraud Monitoring

Aura notifies you when someone tries to modify your bank account holder information or adds new account holders to allow them to access your accounts. This helps you prevent banking fraud, which puts all of your available funds at risk.

Financial Transaction Monitoring

By linking your financial accounts to your Aura account, the company allows you to monitor all your transactions in one spot. Spending alerts can be set to notify you about transactions based on thresholds you set, allowing you to detect early signs of fraud and suspicious spending.

Monthly Credit Score and Annual Credit Reports

Aura updates your credit score on a monthly basis, allowing you to track it, thanks to it listing your credit scores for up to 12 months. It also provides a breakdown of the factors affecting your credit score. Aura also offers annual credit reports, allowing you to see anything that needs to be disputed on your report.

Family Protection

Parental Controls and Safe Gaming

By adding your kids to your Aura account you can monitor your child’s online activities and block block unsuitable websites. You can view your child’s time online. You can also limit screen time by setting time limits for apps and websites. You can also pause the internet for your more stubborn offspring that won’t follow the rules.

The internet is overrun with online predators and scams. Plus, kids face cyberbullying when playing video games online. Aura will alert you about these threats with 24/7 in-game voice and text monitoring, which is compatible with over 200 popular PC games.

Family Fraud Alerts Sharing

Aura monitors for any fraud that may affect your family members. You’ll get alerts when someone steals one of your family member’s personal information and uses it for personal gain. Aura also monitors your children’s Social Security Numbers, and all three credit bureaus are monitored.

Verdict

Aura provides top-notch protection for you and your family, providing multiple services that you would usually need to subscribe to multiple services to take advantage of. While the provider is rather expensive when compared to many other VPN and other online protection providers, credit monitoring services, identity theft monitoring companies, and such, the price is actually quite reasonable for all of the services Aura provides.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Visit Aura’s homepage here.