According to the internet security company McAfee, searching for Jessica Online online may be a high security risk for your computer. McAfee has been releasing the said yearly list (riskiest celebrities to search for) for the last three years. In 2008, it was Brad Pitt, and in 2007, ’twas Paris Hilton. If you’re searching for information about Justin Timberlake’s current beau, the odds are great (one in five chance) that you might get directed to a site known for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, and viruses. So beware, people!
According to a rep from McAfee:
“Cybercriminals are star watchers too – they latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise. Every day, cybercriminals use celebrities’ names and images, like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, to lure surfers searching for the latest stories, screen savers and ringtones to sites offering free downloads laden with malware.”
Check out this year’s top 15 most dangerous celebrity searches:
1. Jessica Biel — Major buzz about her figure and high-profile relationship with Justin Timberlake makes Jessica Biel an easy target for spammers and hackers. When “Jessica Biel screensavers” was searched, almost half of the sites were identified as containing malicious downloads with spyware, adware and potential viruses.
2. Beyoncé– Beyonce tops the MTV Video Music Award nominee list, and McAfee’s results as the most frequent, highly-ranked celebrity. Inputting “Beyoncé ringtones” into a search engine yielded a dangerous Web site linking to a distributor of adware and spyware.
3. Jennifer Aniston– A favorite among Hollywood’s leading ladies, Jennifer Aniston should be searched with caution. More than 40 percent of Google search results for “Jennifer Aniston screensavers” contained nasty viruses, including one called the “FunLove virus.”
4. Tom Brady– The New England Patriot seems to attract many fans who want a free download of the athlete in action, but not the Trojan that comes with it.
5. Jessica Simpson– Jessica Simpson is as dangerous to search online as she is famous. Searching for “Jessica Simpson videos” can mislead unsuspecting surfers to sites with potentially damaging downloads.
6. Gisele Bundchen– The world’s highest-paid supermodel is a popular target for cybercriminals. A search for “Gisele Bundchen photos” can direct users to sites that breached browser security in McAfee’s tests.
7. Miley Cyrus– Cybercriminals are using websites related to Miley Cyrus’ image to link to other harmful sites containing spyware.
8. Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie– Both tabloid fixture Megan Fox and American icon Angelina Jolie resulted in an equal number of risky download websites, proving cybercriminals are in the business of capitalizing on the world’s most famous faces.
9. Ashley Tisdale– The “High School Musical” star is a popular search term when it comes to searching for screensavers. A host of screensaver websites contained numerous malware-laden downloads.
10. Brad Pitt– Appearing in the top spot last year, Brad Pitt dropped down on this year’s list, resulting in a few less, but just as dangerous websites.
11. Reese Witherspoon– Risky websites were identified when searching for “Reese Witherspoon” and “Reese Witherspoon photos” promoting free files with hidden malware.
12. Britney Spears– McAfee SiteAdvisor technology found a single site promoting free Britney Spears wallpaper that was embedded with more than 50 potentially infected downloads.
13. Rihanna– Free Rihanna ringtones are some of the most sought after, but some shady vendors mislead those who subscribe by gathering and selling their personal information.
14. Lindsay Lohan– McAfee’s study flagged Lindsay Lohan screen saver sites as offering a combined 50 free screen savers infected with Trojans, viruses and spyware.
15. Kim Kardashian– The biggest reality star in recent months is now susceptible to Internet lurkers too. A search for Kim Kardashian wallpaper and screen savers
