Online security company McAfee has released its annual list of Most Dangerous Cyber Celebrities with big threats coming from Bruce Springsteen, Flo Rida and Blake Shelton.
The list looks at the relationship between searching pop culture names on the Internet and the likelihood of finding a website infected with viruses and spyware, Consequence of Sound reports. Jimmy Kimmel took the number one spot with a 19.38 percent chance of landing on a sketchy page, and he's the first male to top the list since Brad Pitt in 2008. Rapper Flo Rida came in at no. 4 with 18.89 percent, just a shade more likley than The Boss (18.82 percent). Britney Spears, Jon Bon Jovi and Christina Aguilera rounded out the top 10.
"Celebrity names coupled with the terms 'video' and 'picture' are some of the most-searched terms on the Internet," said Michelle Dennedy, chief privacy officer at McAfee. "Cybercriminals exploit consumers' need to be updated on celebrity news, leading them to sites that can harm their devices and compromise personal data. We want to ensure we're equipping consumers with the knowledge they need to keep both themselves and their devices safe."
Comedians and musicians were among the highest threats, with names like Jimmy Fallon, Adam Sandler, Chris Brown and Paul McCartney all included in the top 30. Also, the Garden State was well-represented with Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Chelsea Handler and The Jersey Shore's JWoww all making the cut.
"Most consumers are completely unaware of the security risks that exist when searching for celebrity and entertainment news, images and videos online, sacrificing safety for immediacy," a security official for the company said. "Cybercriminals capitalize on consumers' attention to breaking celebrity news and leverage this behavior to lead them to unsafe sites that can severely infect their computers and devices and steal personal data."
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