Lifelock! Where have you been all of my life?

Lifelock, a nifty little service that "locks" down your credit file so no one can touch it without setting off alarms, bells, and whistles, makes me wonder why this isn't just the way things work. Why don't Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion simply do this for everyone without charge? I know these companies don't really exist for consumers, but how much money and sanity could have been spared if 10 years ago the credit bureaus started contacting people to confirm their credit applications. I guess I just answered my own question, there was nothing in it for them except great expense, but everyone's been trying desperately to protect their identity or their customer's identity with everything from low tech (shredders) to high tech (multifactor authentication) and still the fraud goes on. A person's identity is only worth their assets and their credit, and I'm guessing most people's credit is worth more than the assets a fraudster can easily get their hands on, so it makes sense to put a lock on the credit spigot.