The Sontiq Story

1978

Herbert P. Bearak incorporates Stop-Loss Associates in Framingham, Mass., pioneering personal information security and protection services.

1992

Stop-Loss Associates establishes Bearak Reports, which uses credit and non-credit information to provide asset search, background screening, business intelligence and public record information services to law firms, financial services companies and government agencies.

1998

Identity theft and payments fraud increase throughout the 1990s. Identity theft officially becomes a United States federal crime in 1998.

2001

John Browning, founder and CEO of Maryland-based check printing company Custom Direct, learns that it took a retired couple six months to recoup their money after being victimized by check fraud. Inspired to take action, Browning creates the EZShield Check Fraud Protection Program^® to prevent others from experiencing the same thing. It sees immediate acceptance in the marketplace.

2005

Bearak Reports launches IdentityForce, led by siblings Steve Bearak and Judy (Bearak) Leary, to specialize in identity theft protection. IdentityForce continues the family tradition of offering award-winning identity solutions and exceptional customer service.

2007

Following another rise in identity crimes, customers want greater visibility of their identity protection online. Financial institutions and businesses turn to EZShield to help them respond to this customer need. EZShield develops the Secure Partner Platform and Online Identity Vault in response.

2013

EZShield secures Best in Class from analyst firm, Javelin Strategy & Research, followed by consecutive wins in 2015, 2016, 2017 Best in Resolution, and 2018 sweeps all ID Theft Scorecard categories (Prevention, Detection, and Resolution™ capabilities).

2014

EZShield launches a resource web site, Fighting Identity Crimes, providing empowerment and education tools to empower consumers and business owners in the fight against Identity Crime.

2015

The U.S. government awards IdentityForce elite Tier One status as an approved provider of identity protection services for data breaches affecting over 21.5 million people.

2018

Javelin Strategy & Research names IdentityForce 2017 Identity Protection Service Provider Best-In-Class Award Winner, earning top marks in Prevention, Detection, and Resolution™ capabilities.

EZShield announces it has acquired IdentityForce. The acquisition expands EZShield’s identity protection ecosystem by nearly 50 percent, providing partners in every industry, businesses of all sizes, and consumers with the most secure capabilities and rapid restoration services.

2019

The creation of Sontiq, the new parent company for identity security industry leaders EZShield and IdentityForce, is announced.

2020

Javelin Strategy & Research names Sontiq’s IdentityForce as the Identity Protection Service Provider Award Winner for 2019. Javelin’s 12th Annual Identity Protection Service Provider Scorecard is the industry’s most comprehensive market research and analysis of identity protection vendors. The 2019 scorecard evaluated 14 total vendors based on 116 evaluation criteria. This marked the sixth consecutive scorecard where Sontiq’s brands, EZShield and IdentityForce, garnered leadership recognition from Javelin Strategy & Research — continuing an unprecedented level of repeat recognition in the ID theft protection industry.

Sontiq celebrates its legacy of empowering businesses and individuals to be less vulnerable to the financial and emotional consequences of cyber threats and identity crimes.

2021

February 2021 | Sontiq acquires Cyberscout, the leading cyber products and services provider to the insurance industry. By acquiring Cyberscout, Sontiq will further build upon its world-class product platform and expand into the insurance industry with products and services around cyber solutions and forensic investigation services. Additionally, both Sontiq and Cyberscout have built strong, repeatable successes within the Employee Benefits sector, mutually focused on delivering competitive packages to help brokers and organizations protect employee populations from cyber threats and identity crimes. Read the press release.

February 2021 | Sontiq introduces its next-generation cloud-based platform, Sontiq Intelligent Identity Security (IIS). The enhanced platform serves as the foundation of Sontiq’s identity theft and cyber threat protection solutions for consumers, partners, and clients. Sontiq’s Intelligent Identity Security solutions focus on protecting every component of an identity in today’s highly volatile digital world where security incidents, cyber threats, and data breaches are the norm. Read the press release.

March 2021 | Sontiq acquires fintech provider Breach Clarity, integrating its patented, award-winning data breach intelligence algorithm into Sontiq Intelligent Identity Security (IIS) platform, through the proprietary capability, BreachIQ™. Sontiq is the first provider in the identity security marketplace to offer consumers an AI-driven and proprietary personalized risk score with actionable next-steps based on their unique data breach history. Read the press release.

October 2021 | Sontiq announces industry first digital safety and security features for families in order to safeguard against cyberbullying, ransomware and social engineering with resolution and reimbursement protection. These new features will be included in Sontiq’s Identity Theft Protection plans for families, including those under the IdentityForce product brand. Read the press release.

October 2021 | TransUnion enhances consumer Identity Protection offerings with agreement to acquire Sontiq for $638 million. Read the press release.

December 2021 | TransUnion completes the acquisition of Sontiq. With its digital safety and security solutions – including identity monitoring, restoration, and response products and services that empower consumers and businesses to proactively protect against identity theft and cyber threats – Sontiq complements TransUnion’s digital identity assets and solutions. Read the press release.