Yes. QGIS can read shapefiles, geodatabases (basic), and many ArcGIS formats.

Security Patches: Critical updates to protect sensitive spatial data. System Requirements for ArcGIS 10.8

While not strictly "free" forever, Esri offers an ArcGIS for Personal Use license (often around $100/year), which provides access to the latest versions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap 10.8.2 for non-commercial projects.

Cybersecurity firms report that over 45% of pirated professional software contains malware. A $100 personal license is far cheaper than ransomware remediation.