Antivirus/malware protection with VPN

No.

But neither can you just surf the web and get emails without being Vigilant -- there are criminals there who will tell you lies to get your credit cards or try to take over your computer.

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community

PC magazine makes a LOT of money from that scare-ware, both from direct advertising and from having vendors "pay to play" and be included in comparison articles.

They are hardly a "dis-interested party" in making those recommendations.

No.

If PC Magazine is recommending Norton Antivirus for your Mac it is time to stop reading PC Magazine.