While my television watching has been bleak over the past few years, I see billboards every day. If I saw this ad for LifeLock while driving, I think that my car would be in a ditch a few seconds later.

Source: Workzone 

How did no one stop this?

The most apparent and bizarre issue here is the fact that the CEO of LifeLock is posting his ACTUAL social security number on a billboard in 2007. Any sane person or parent would tell anyone to keep phone numbers, addresses, and ESPECIALLY social security numbers safe. Todd Davis is very confident in his company, but his identity was stolen within a short time frame by multiple people.

Sure, this might give people confidence in their purchase of this product within the first few hours of the billboard going up. However, when the CEO of a security company gets HIS identity stolen, that might be a catastrophe for the newcomers, let alone the customers who already bought this service. This theft would also be an indicator of flaws in the service since dark web users could still steal identities if they get the customer’s social security number. Remember, Todd Davis had LifeLock at the time.

He didn’t just post it: He dared you to steal it!

Having confidence is great for a company, but when someone says that no one can use his/her information, it’s a challenge. Hackers online are continually searching for unprotected details, and when they get spoonfed a social security number, everyone is going to bite. Todd Davis is practically encouraging people to use his information.

A helpful tip for advertising is being prepared to handle anyone who is actively trying to destroy you. A perfect opportunity arises and, suddenly, you aren’t as safe as you thought. “Guaranteed” protection might be a stretch in this case, and this attempt at a plug was a colossal failure that should never have left the PR table.

How could this LifeLock ad have been above pitiful?

Instead of posting his social security number, asterisks should have made their way in, encrypting the actual numbers. This technique would humorously show the protection of LifeLock. Also, another person could have very well been on the billboard. The CEO didn’t have to be in the advertisement, throwing his information out for everyone to see. Even putting a fake number on the ad would have been better than this train wreck.

Here’s some advice for keeping an identity safe.

There’s no doubt that LifeLock is still thriving in 2019, with them stating that they had over 4.4 million members at one point. Online security providers are thriving, but some issues can disappear without them. Don’t ever use credit cards or private information on shady websites and, ironically, get a trusted online security network to filter those sites out. The internet is full of criminals looking for their next uninformed subject, so don’t forget your lifejacket when you surf the web.