Bruce Schneier has written an interesting article on VPNs.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2021/06/vpns-and-trust.htmlMuch of the pushing by Avast of its Free users is to do with its VPN. I choose to rely on browser enforced end to end encryption for my privacy. It is not possible to be able to totally trust any VPN. I never use public Wi-Fi, instead using an Android smart phone as a mobile wireless connection point if absolutely necessary.
All this pushing of features caused a friend, whose Windows 10 PC I support, to phone me because she was puzzled that a 'secure browser' had been pushed onto her by Avast. I said that she had nothing to worry about but asked her if she really wanted to use a different browser from Firegox ESR. The upshot was that I talked her through uninstalling the unwanted browser. This episode highlights my concern that Avast is so frenetic in its pushing of 'extras' that it distracts and bamboozles users. I am not a fan of being suddenly distracted when doing online banking where user vigilance is key. Even forcing myself to ignore Avast distractions puts me at elevated risk of dropping my guard at a crucial moment. At my age, memory and concentration are less reliable than they once were. Now then, what day of the week is it?
All this distraction weakens our vigilance and so also our defences so Avast actually makes us less secure from the dangers of social engineering (which is what the Avast naggings are, kind of). I am happy to be a beta tester and put up with the adverts, within reason. Did the Avast 21.5 email problems also affect the paid for versions? If only the Avast Practical Jokes Department was able to exercise even a modicum of self-control.
Panda Security must have a different business model. Panda Dome does not feature any 'encouragements' in its free version.