Want a shock? Open today's Wall Street Journal to p. D3 (West Coast edition).

You'll see a full-page, black-and-white ad featuring LifeLock CEO Todd Davis's social security number in a massive reverse-type, page-dominating format. There is also a 1/4 scale photo of a smiling Davis holding his social security card out to the camera. The ad offers a 30-day free trial using the WALL10 promo code, before reverting to the normal $10/mo price.

The WSJ spread will be less of a surprise if you've seen LifeLock's television spots or website recently, where the same technique has been used for some time (see screenshot below).

Although the ad may partly be for PR in the investment community, the relatively large spend demonstrates just how lucrative, and appealing, financial security services can be. We'll look at LifeLock and the whole identity theft/credit monitoring space in our upcoming Online Banking Report, due out in about 10 days.