84 PCWorld NOVEMBER 2019FEATURE WHY YOU CAN STOP PAYING FOR AV SOFTWARE
crash your
system,
remember
that there’s far
more money
to be made in
attacks like
ransomware
(go.pcworld.
com/rnsm),
which encrypt
your PC and
then demand
that you pay
for the
decryption
key. Both
Malwarebytes and BitDefender, among
others, have developed free anti-
ransomware solutions, which again provide
a free alternative.
Windows has its own free protections that
help stop ransomware (go.pcworld.com/
prtt), including Windows Defender as well as
protected folders that can be locked down
and secured. Nothing’s perfect, and no one
can say for sure that a new attack won’t be
able to break Windows’ protections. But that
argument applies to paid services as well.
Alternatively, you can roll your own
a-la-carte security suite, building on top of
Windows’ own antimalware service. Seek
out your preferred VPN provider from our
list of best VPNs (go.pcworld.com/vprv),for example. Subscribe to LifeLock or a
credit-monitoring service. Google Chrome
and other browsers will manage your
passwords, or you can pick from a list of the
best password managers (go.pcworld.
com/pswd). What paid antimalware suites
offer are vetted services, all rolled up into a
neat, manageable package, as well as
peace of mind.
That convenience comes with a price,
however, one that will hit your wallet every year
as part of a recurring subscription. If you want
to keep paying for these kinds of services,
that’s fine. But if you’re looking for a way to
save money, cutting out your existing paid
antivirus subscription in favor of Windows
Defender is worth a good, hard look.Established antivirus/antimalware products from McAfee, Symantec, and others
have branched out to offer VPNs, password vaults, and other security services.