PSN ID protection registration extended

If you didn’t get the chance to take advantage of the “Welcome Back” program for the Playstation Network breach between April and May, you’re not totally out of luck. Sony has extended registration for its identity-theft protection program throughout the end of July, as stated on the company’s official blog.

The AllClear Plus ID from Debix, Inc. will be available free for any PSN user for a year starting on the registration date. The original sign-up deadline for this service was June 28.

The identity-theft protection service was one of the free bundles Sony offered alongside a free month of its Playstation Plus service and downloadable games such as Infamous, Little Big Planet and Wipeout HD. With the deadline increased, Sony looks determined to protect as many of the millions of PSN users who were affected by the outage as possible.

If you're interested in signing up, head over to Sony's registration page to get a personal activation code.

Services that come with the program include:

• Cyber monitoring and surveillance of the Internet to detect exposure of an AllClear ID Plus customer’s personal information, including monitoring of criminal web sites and data recovered by law enforcement. If his/her personal information is found, the customer will be alerted by phone and/or email and will be provided advice and support regarding protective steps to take. The customer will also receive monthly identity status reports. Debix works with an alliance of cyber-crime experts from the government, academia and industry to provide these services.

• Priority access to licensed private investigators and identity restoration specialists. If an AllClear ID Plus customer receives an alert, or otherwise suspects that he/she may be the victim of identity theft, the customer can speak directly, on a priority basis, with an on-staff licensed private investigator, who will conduct a comprehensive inquiry. In the case of an identity theft, the customer can work with an identity restoration specialist to contact creditors and others, and take necessary steps to restore the customer’s identity.

• A $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user to provide additional protection in the event that an AllClear ID Plus customer becomes a victim of identity theft. This insurance would provide financial relief of up to $1 million for covered identity restoration costs, legal defense expenses, and lost wages that occur within 12 months after the stolen identity event.

Of course, simply not purchasing anything on PSN with your credit card will protect you, too.