I've been using free Avast and free Malwarebytes without a VPN for years without a problem for both banking and shopping....but that is not a recommendation. It's all about what level of risk you are willing to accept and whether or not you want to feel safer by paying for extra protection. Your Mileage May Vary.

Your internet provider may furnish to its customers free licenses for for premium software security packages. In my experience, some provide McAfee, others Norton (Symantec). Check first.

If you aren't using a VPN connection over the internet (this is typical for people connecting remotely to their employer's IT system), then you don't need what's being described.

Free Avast is entirely sufficient for your antivirus needs. I've been using it for at least 5 years and have not had one instance where a virus got through. Previous to using Avast, I paid for Norton or McAfee, but got tired of their complicated and ever-changing interfaces...plus the cost.

The purpose of a VPN is that it pretty much eliminates tracking of what you do on the internet. If you don't care that your internet provider has a record of every site you visit online, or you don't live in a country that restricts the web sites you visit or might lock you up for going to web sites that they don't want you to visit, or you never use a public web site like the airport or Starbucks, etc., where a hacker might intercept your personal or financial info, then you probably don't need a VPN.

Kudzu, I have different notions than you have and I wonder if you're serious or deliberately obfuscating.

-"Norton or McAfee, but got tired of their complicated and ever-changing interfaces"

I've used Norton for the past 10 years and I don't believe the interface has changed. Anyway, why would one ever need to go to the interface? The better programs work in the background, update themselves when required (usually daily), and do their thing without user intervention. And do their scanning when the machine is idle. I have a second ISP at a second home that offers McAfee and find it very comparable and similarly having a light touch as Norton.

-Does having your ISP have a record of your activity cause a problem? Me, I don't care. My ISP has so many customers, they're unlikely to find me interesting.

-"or you don't live in a country that restricts the web sites you visit "

Such countries usually block VPN use

-" or you never use a public web site like the airport or Starbucks, etc., where a hacker might intercept your personal or financial info"

All sites where personal information is exchanged/communicated use encrypted communications already. And, if a bad guy were to get your bank sign-on and make a transfer or withdrawal, that's a fraudulent transaction like a stolen or forged check and the account holder has no liability for it.

Elmer-

Really? I have no idea why you would think I wasn't being serious.

As for the interface, I haven't used Norton or McAfee in years, but they always seemed to come up with a new, "improved" interface almost every year, and McAfee working in the background caused incredible slowdowns on more than one of my computers. Maybe they're better now, but I'm not going to pay to find out.

On the VPN issue, I was simply trying to explain to the OP why people use VPNs, and why she may not need one. Since you seem to have your mind made up, I'm not going to argue with you. But for the OP, here is some more info: 10 reasons to use a VPN

I never use my computers anywhere besides home. I don't purposely do anything online that would cause me embarrassment or investigations by the government even though I do have a problem with anyone or any entity being able to monitor it. So I guess I'll check again to see if my internet provider has any security options but I don't think they do. Thanks for your input.

ritaweeda, in case in helps, my two internet providers that provide free security software are Comcast's Xfinity Cable service (Norton) and Time Warner Cable (McAfee).

kudzu, I remember the heavy-handedness you allude to that used to be characteristic of McAfee and Norton in the distant past but neither are like that now and haven't been for a long time, in my experience. The interface for Norton hasn't changed that I can recall in the last many years but again, a user has no need to go to the interface.

Both operate with a very light touch, in the background, and only when the PC is idle. Scans in progress seem to be suspended if a user moves the mouse to wake the screen, for example. With long experience with Norton and then also McAfee over the last year, I'd say both are similar and you'd never know they are there. Other than sometimes when something nefarious is attempted and a small message will pop up saying something like "unidentified attack blocked" or "unauthorized download stopped". I'm a careful user and don't see such things regularly but it can happen when clicking on a Google search result and having not paid that much attention to the identity of the destination.

do you find any of those 10 "reasons" valid for you or reasonable or compelling? I sure don't. Keep in mind that if you're using a public service rather than a private VPN as for an employer, at some point the VPN encrypted packets need to be decrypted (at the provider's gateway) and at that point the packets will be transmitted in the clear. Private VPN where the packets remain encrypted until the destination within a firewall does accomplish something, public VPN much less so. For the Netflix example, I believe they attempt to block connections coming from public VPN sites and if so, that makes it a list of 9 fluffy reasons rather than 10.

I'm well aware of the difference between a private VPN and an employer VPN. I've also had experience with bogus, free wifi sites. And I've also been in restrictive countries where I could use a VPN to access "unapproved" sites. So, yes, there are several reasons where I care about having access to a VPN. I don't care if you or anyone else uses one. I'm just saying that they have benefits in certain situations for some people.

I've been following this thread. I wonder if W. Defender is a good AV. Any feedback?

Jane

So I checked with AT&T, they are our one and only internet provider here, and they do offer free Mcafee on the pricier/speedier options. I am at the bottom of the products, we only have a landline and dsl with them and I have the lowest possible mbps offered. Because I'm cheap and because that's all we require. And yes I've been told that Windows Defender is all I need on Windows 10 and then another will come along and say that's not true. Since I'm not tech savvy as I stated before I don't know who to believe. Sometimes I go online and try to find the answer and still come away clueless because of all the different opinions. So I am still at the place where I have to decide on if free service and Windows Defender is enough or go ahead and upgrade my speed and pay more and get Mcafee free. I've been seeing the ads for Chromebook that has built-in anti-virus and am kicking myself for not getting that instead of what I have.

As stated previously, I do have free Avast in use on my Dell desktop (for work), but I also have an older Lenovo M90P desktop with Win 10 and I've been using Windows Defender only on it. I have had no problems whatsoever. It has been entirely seamless and is even less intrusive than Avast. Why not give it a try before worrying about getting something else?

I think from the chatter you've learned that given your use pattern you can ignore VPN coverage as a needed feature.

See this link below for ratings based on objective independent testing by a very respected source. Microsoft's Windows Defender is getting better but it's historically been a very poor performer. I personally would avoid Kaspersky but there remains several very good choices. Good luck.

PC Mag's ratings of free antivirus software

rita-

No need to spend more money. There are plenty of good, free solutions. Spending money doesn't mean you're getting better protection. You should choose one of the well-regarded free ones and stop worrying and over-thinking this :-)

I use Windows Defender (or whatever Microsoft calls their AV product) and have never had a problem. I used Norton for a lot of years before that. In the 25 years I've had personal computer I think I've gotten 2 viruses.

I don't want to sound like I'm blowing my own horn but I think I tend to be pretty savvy when it comes to online stuff. I'm immediately suspicious of:

• Any site that gives you something for "free" yet you know darn well you should be paying for.

• Any site that promotes "cutesy" stuff like emoticons, gifs, etc. [As a side note, Google Play's recent (and ongoing) issues with infected apps, all providing cutesy stuff of dubious value.]

• Attachments to (or links in) emails from friends, family whatever make no sense given the sender. I know, for example, that my sister will never send me an email that says, "you have to see this..." [click here].