Eighth Annual Study Shows that Searches for
Musicians and Comedians are Most Common Among Americans
EDM DJ Armin van Buuren Mixes His Way to the
Top Five
Jimmy Kimmel, comedian and late night host of Jimmy Kimmel Live,
replaces Lily Collins (Mirror, Mirror) as McAfee’s most dangerous
celebrity to search for online. For the eighth year in a row,
McAfee researched popular culture’s most famous people to reveal
the riskiest personalities on the Web. The McAfee Most Dangerous
CelebritiesTM study revealed that an eclectic mix of comedians and
musicians are among the most dangerous.
Jimmy Kimmel is the second male to find his way to the No. 1
spot (moving up from No. 39) following Brad Pitt in 2008. DJ Armin
van Buuren takes the number two spot behind Kimmel, and Ciara, the
third. Additional celebrities in the top 10 include Blake Shelton,
Britney Spears (holding her place at No.7), and three New Jersey
natives: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Chelsea Handler.
As underscored by the recent hacking of female celebrities’
private photos, cybercriminals are consistently looking for ways to
take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture events
such as award shows, new movies and TV shows, as well as the
latest celebrity-driven cultural trends. These criminals capitalize
on the public’s fascination with celebrity to lure them to sites
laden with malware, which enable them to steal passwords and
personal information.
“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,” said
Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee.
“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.”
“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.”
Jimmy Kimmel Searches Yield a Nearly
One-in-Five Chance of Landing on a Malicious Site
McAfee research found that searching for the latest Jimmy Kimmel
pictures and downloads yields more than a 19% chance of landing on
a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as
spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.
The top 10 celebrities from this year’s study with the highest
percentages of risk are:
Position Celebrity Percentage
1 Jimmy Kimmel 19.38% 2 Armin van
Buuren 19.33% 3 Ciara 19.31%
4 Flo Rida 18.89% 5 Bruce
Springsteen 18.82% 6 Blake Shelton
18.47% 7 Britney Spears 18.19% 8
Jon Bon Jovi 17.64% 9 Chelsea Handler
17.22% 10 Christina Aguilera 16.67%
Dangerously Funny Men & Women
In addition to Jimmy Kimmel (No. 1), Chelsea Handler (No. 9),
Jimmy Fallon (No. 12), Adam Sandler (No. 14), Jason Segel (No. 19),
Wee Man (No. 35), and Cameron Diaz (No. 41) all rank in the top
50.
Country and EDM Artists Dance to the
Top
Representing popular music genres on the rise, country music
stars and electric dance music (EDM) artists pump up the top 50
list. Four musicians make the top 50, with two of them landing
within the top 10: Armin van Buuren (No.2) and Blake Shelton
(No.6). Other musicians at play include: Calvin Harris (No. 17) and
Carrie Underwood (No.47).
Chart Toppers Rock Out to the Danger
Zone
This year, several rap, hip hop and R&B hit makers are in
the top 20: Ciara (No. 3), Flo Rida (No. 4), 50 Cent (No. 13),
Cheryl Cole (No. 16) and Iggy Azalea (No. 20). Additional
superstars heating up the top 50 are Jason Derulo (No. 24), Jay Z
(No. 26), Chris Brown (No. 28), Paul McCartney (No.29), Jennifer
Lopez (No. 31), Pitbull (No. 34), Jessie J (No.44), Rihanna
(No.45), Justin Timberlake (No.46), and Pharrell Williams (No.
49).
The Garden State
This year, four native New Jerseyians are in the top 25: Bruce
Springsteen (No. 5), Bon Jovi (No. 8), Chelsea Handler (No. 9), and
JWoww (No.23).
Romantic Comedy’s Leading Ladies
Several of America’s sweethearts are in the top 50 this year,
including: Jessica Alba (No. 14), Kate Winslet (No. 18), Jennifer
Lopez (No. 31), Jessica Biel (No. 33), Jennifer Aniston (No.37),
Jennifer Garner (No.38), and Cameron Diaz (No.41).
Where Have the Kardashians Gone?
Last year, searching for downloads of Kanye West, Kourtney
Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner were
popular among Americans. This year, the Kardashian clan is nowhere
to be found. Instead, Jersey Shore star JWoww (No.23) and celebrity
mogul Jay Z (No.26) claim spots on the list.
How You Can Stay Protected:
- Beware of clicking on third party
links. You should access content directly from official
websites of content providers. For example, visit ABC.com to find
Jimmy Kimmel’s latest episodes.
- Ensure you use web
protection that will notify you of risky sites or links before
you visit them. Stick to official news sites for breaking
news.
- Don’t download videos from suspect
sites. This should be common sense, but it bears repeating:
don’t download anything from a website you don’t trust — especially
video. Most news clips you’d want to see can easily be found on
official video sites and don’t require you to download
anything.
- “Free downloads” are by far the
highest virus-prone search term. Anyone searching for videos or
files to download should be careful as not to unleash unsafe
content such as malware onto their computers.
- Always use password protection on
your phone and other mobile devices. If you don’t and your
phone is lost or stolen, anyone who picks up the device could have
access to your personal information online.
- Don’t “log in” or provide other
information: If you receive a message, text or email or visit a
third-party website that asks for your information—credit card,
email, home address, Facebook login, or other information—to grant
access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out. Such requests are
a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity
theft.
- Search online using a tool, such as
SiteAdvisor software, which protects users from malicious
websites and browser exploits. A complimentary version of
SiteAdvisor software can be downloaded at www.siteadvisor.com
Find More Information:
- To learn more about the research, you
can check out
- Web page:
www.mcafee.com/most-dangerous-celebrities
- Blog post from Gary Davis:
http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/most-dangerous-celebs-2014
- Blog post from Robert Siciliano:
http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/risky-celeb
- Press release:
http://www.mcafee.com/us/about/news/2014/q4/20141001-01.aspx
- Twitter: Follow @McAfeeConsumer
for live online safety updates and tips. Use hashtag #RiskyCeleb to
discuss the Most Dangerous Celebrities of 2014.
- Web surfers can also visit the McAfee
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcafee and McAfee Security Advice
Center for information on the latest consumer threats, and tips for
living safe online.
- If you do decide to search for
information on a major event or celebrity in the news, make sure
your entire household’s devices have protection, such as McAfee
LiveSafe™ service, which protects all devices from your PCs, Macs,
and tablets to your smartphone. It also includes malware detection
software, McAfee® Mobile Security, to protect your smartphone or
tablet from all types of malware.
Survey Methodology
The study was conducted using McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site ratings
to determine which sites are risky to search when attached to
celebrity names on the Web and calculates an overall risk
percentage. McAfee SiteAdvisor technology protects users from
malicious websites and browser exploits. SiteAdvisor technology
tests and rates nearly every Internet website it finds, and uses
red, yellow and green icons to indicate the website’s risk level.
Ratings are created by using patented advanced technology to
conduct automated website tests and works with Internet Explorer,
Chrome, Safari and Firefox.
The terms “Jimmy Kimmel,” “Jimmy Kimmel downloads,” “Jimmy
Kimmel mp4,” and “Jimmy Kimmel torrentz” were used to search for
Jimmy Kimmel, and replicated for each celebrity on the list. The
results indicated the percentage of risk of running into online
threats designed to steal personal information. Fans clicking on
these risky sites and downloading files including photos and videos
become more vulnerable to downloading viruses and malware.
About McAfee
McAfee is now part of Intel Security. With its Security
Connected strategy, innovative approach to hardware-enhanced
security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence, Intel Security is
intensely focused on developing proactive, proven security
solutions and services that protect systems, networks, and mobile
devices for business and personal use around the world. Intel
Security combines the experience and expertise of McAfee with the
innovation and proven performance of Intel to make security an
essential ingredient in every architecture and on every computing
platform. Intel Security’s mission is to give everyone the
confidence to live and work safely and securely in the digital
world. www.intelsecurity.com.
Note: McAfee is a trademark or registered trademark of McAfee,
Inc. in the United States and other countries. Intel is a trademark
or registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the US and/or other
countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of
others.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140930006922/en/
McAfee, part of Intel SecurityKim Eichorn,
408-455-2172Kim_Eichorn@mcafee.comorDKCEva Ross,
212-981-5218Eva_Ross@dkcnews.com
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