Do we even still need to use these things on Windows 10? I bought a new laptop for Christmas and I got a free couple of months of Norton that are about to expire. Is Windows Defender enough or should I re-up with McAfee or something?
It depends, do you take risks online or have other users in the house that randomly click on ads and regularly get malware/viruses? Or do you have a pretty good idea on usage and feel somewhat confident with the system and the newer OS? I personally only use a VPN (one I pay for that's good, but only when needed, ie on public wifi or don't feel like being sold user data from my isp/tracked, and I also stick with Windows Defender, but with that said I'm heavy into fixing everything on my own software/electronics just about anything (so I'm not a typical user), with that said, I feel even newer users can be safe as long as they're not clicking away and installing stuff, or getting into downloading/streaming from questionable spots, without being careful. Anyway, if you're even remotely confident, I feel Defender is enough, just play a bit more safe. Also... Various sources have stated defender is actually doing a lot better - https://www.cnet.com/news/the-best-antivirus-protection-in-2020-for-windows-10/ than before. Lastly, I like Defender since it doesn't take much resources (even though I'd probably not notice one anyway, I just like watching resource usage)
I've been using Defender-only for the entirety of Windows 7 + 10. It gets the job done, just scan every once in a while. If you get hit by a zero-day anything then no antivirus will protect you. Ultimately its all based on your usage patterns.
Definitely understand, I have a similar situation, my wife's good but the kids... It was honestly better to just let them have access to a separate computer they could mess up, haha. Anyway, I think you might still be okay with Defender, but if you want something that might offer you more protection check out Kaspersky: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-antivirus-protection I haven't personally used it but have heard good things, I sometimes feel Norton/McAfee used to be really good but then started to lose ground to some of these other companies, like I think they got big early and then for their consumer versions got lazy. Also, on a side note-- if you do go the free MS Defender route, and someone in the house messes it up, you probably can run Malwarebytes with Defender and fix it, or if all else seriously fails, Windows 10 is very easy to reinstall, I mean once the OS has been activated you don't even need a key to reinstall it fresh and Microsoft's media creation tool direct from their site even helps handle the os download.
Disable Java, disable Flash (by default it's off in Chrome), don't install shady programs. You're fine without a third party AV.
At my job, we use Malwarebytes to protect the adult children we call employees from themselves. (Can you tell that I'm the one that has to deal when it when they technologically **** the bed?) The free version has always been great at efficiently detecting and dealing with stuff that might already be there, but eventually we just started using the paid version as our default always-on protection. I use it, too, and I've shared the three licenses I got with my parents. It plays well with other programs and is lightweight. I don't think it has any conflicts with in-built Windows protection. I have plenty of good sense on the internet and how to handle it, but it's still been a good backup companion when I'm delving around the less savory places.