Comedians, Musicians and TV Hosts Rank
Highly on the 10th Annual Most Dangerous Celebrities List
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- Comedian and actress Amy Schumer ranked
No. 1 on the McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities™ 2016 study.
- Now in its 10th year, the study reveals
which celebrities, musicians and TV hosts generate the most
dangerous search results, potentially exposing consumers to
malware.
- Celebrities in the top 10 include
Justin Bieber, Carson Daly, Will Smith, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus,
Selena Gomez and more.
Female comedian superstar Amy Schumer knocked electronic dance
music (EDM) DJ Armin van Buuren off of the list to become the most
dangerous celebrity to search for online, according to Intel
Security. Now in its 10th year, the McAfee Most Dangerous
Celebrities™ study, published by Intel Security, researched a broad
list of well-known figures including actors, comedians, musicians,
TV hosts, athletes and more. This research uncovers which
celebrities generate the most dangerous search results that could
expose fans to viruses and malware while searching for the latest
information on today’s pop culture icons.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160927006770/en/
Savvy cybercriminals continue to leverage
consumers’ fascination with celebrity news to entice unsuspecting
fans to visit sites loaded with malware that can steal passwords
and personal information. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Amy Schumer is considered to be one of the most popular female
comedians who is also known for her work as a writer, actress and
producer. Now Schumer can add “first female comedian to take the
No.1 spot on the McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities™ study” to her
list of achievements. Justin Bieber came in hot on her heels at No.
2, followed by “Today” and “The Voice” host Carson Daly (No. 3).
Schumer is also accompanied by comedian peers in the top 10 with
Chris Hardwick (No. 7) and Daniel Tosh (No. 8). Former rapper
turned Hollywood A-lister Will Smith is joined by chart-topping
musicians such as Rihanna (No. 5), Miley Cyrus (No. 6), Selena
Gomez (No. 9) and Kesha (No. 10), rounding out the top 10 list.
Savvy cybercriminals continue to leverage consumers’ ongoing
fascination with celebrity news – such as award and TV shows as
well as movie premieres, album releases, celebrity breakups and
more – to entice unsuspecting fans to visit sites loaded with
malware that can steal passwords and personal information. The
study conducted by Intel Security highlights the various ways
hackers can take advantage of consumers’ interest around pop
culture news, the risks of their online behavior and how to best
protect themselves from potential threats.
“Consumers today remain fascinated with celebrity culture and go
online to find the latest pop culture news,” said Gary Davis, chief
consumer security evangelist at Intel Security. “With this craving
for real-time information, many search and click without
considering potential security risks. Cybercriminals know this and
take advantage of this behavior by attempting to lead them to
unsafe sites loaded with malware. As a result, consumers need to
understand what precautions to take to enable safe online
experiences.”
A Search for ‘Amy Schumer Torrent’ Results in a 33 Percent
Chance of Connecting to a Malicious Website
Amy Schumer topping the list highlights the trend of more people
looking to “cut the cord” and move away from cable TV. Consumers
are now, more than ever, streaming videos, TV shows and movies
online. As file sharing and torrent use continues to grow in
popularity, it’s no surprise that TV and movies are a target for
cybercriminals seeking to create malicious files.
The top 10 celebrities from this year’s study with the highest
risk percentages include:
Position
Celebrity Percentage
1 Amy Schumer
16.11% 2
Justin Bieber
15.00% 3 Carson
Daly 13.44% 4
Will Smith
13.44% 5 Rihanna
13.33% 6
Miley Cyrus
12.67% 7 Chris
Hardwick 12.56% 8
Daniel Tosh
11.56% 9 Selena
Gomez 11.11% 10
Kesha
11.11%
Crowded with Comedians
Kicking off her world tour this fall, comedian Amy Schumer tops
the list as the Most Dangerous Celebrity – coming in at No. 1.
Chris Hardwick (No. 7) of “Funcomfortable” fame and Daniel Tosh
(No. 8) were also among the top 10, while Nikki Glaser (No. 15) and
Kevin Hart (No. 25) made the top 25. Other funny females to make
the list include: Grace Helbig (No. 26), Mindy Kaling (No. 30),
Kristen Wiig (No. 52), Chelsea Handler (No. 54) and Ellen DeGeneres
(No. 57).
Musicians Top the Charts
This year’s riskiest celebrities included some of the most
sensational, chart-topping pop artists such as Justin Bieber (No.
2), Rihanna (No. 5), Miley Cyrus (No. 6), Selena Gomez (No. 9) and
Kesha (10). Pop, rap, hip-hop and a bit of country were represented
by Drake (No. 13), Katy Perry (No. 14), Jason Aldean (No. 16),
Justin Timberlake (No. 17), Jennifer Lopez (No. 18), Lady Gaga (No.
19), Nicki Minaj (No. 20), Iggy Azalea (No. 27), Beyoncé (No. 28)
and Usher (No. 29) as they rounded out the top 30.
Late Night TV Shows
“Today” show anchor and “The Voice” host Carson Daly is the
third Most Dangerous Celebrity, while late night hosts Seth Meyers
(No. 11) and Conan O’Brien (No. 12) cracked the top 15. Host James
Corden, widely known for his popular “Carpool Karaoke,” landed at
No. 23, followed by John Oliver at No. 24 and Jimmy Kimmel at No.
32 – previously No. 1 in 2014 and No. 26 in 2015. Bill Maher rounds
out the list at No. 34.
‘The Voice’ Coaches Make the Cut
Three of the four celebrity coaches on “The Voice” this season,
along with the host, are all in the top 50. Miley Cyrus leads the
pack (No. 6), followed by Adam Levine (No. 41) and Blake Shelton
(No. 66), as well as his girlfriend and rotating coach Gwen Stefani
(No. 49). Blake Shelton’s fellow country superstars Jason Aldean
(No. 16) and Luke Bryan (No. 39) are not far behind.
How to Search Safely
- Think before you click! Are you
looking for the latest episode of Amy Schumer’s TV show, “Inside
Amy Schumer”? Don’t click on that third-party link. Instead, get
your content directly from the original source at comedycentral.com
to ensure you aren’t clicking on anything that could be
malicious.
- Use caution when searching for
“torrent.” This term is by far the riskiest search term.
Cybercriminals can use torrents to embed malware within authentic
files making it difficult to determine if a file is safe. It’s best
to avoid using torrents especially when there are so many
legitimate streaming options available.
- Keep your personal information
personal. Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to steal
your personal information. If you receive a request to enter
information like your credit card, email, home address or social
media login don’t give it out thoughtlessly. Do your research and
ensure it’s not a phishing or scam attempt that could lead to
identity theft
- Browse safely using protection like
McAfee® WebAdvisor software. WebAdvisor will help keep you safe
from malicious websites by helping to identify potentially risky
sites. A complimentary version of the software can be downloaded at
www.mcafee.com/mcafeewebadvisor
- Use cross device protection.
Consumers need to protect all facets of their digital lives
regardless of where they are, what device they use or where they
store their personal data. Use solutions that work across all your
devices to deliver protection against threats, such as malware,
hacking and phishing attacks.
Find More Information:
- To learn more about the study, check
out:
- Blog post from Gary Davis:
https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/most-dangerous-celebrities-2016
- Twitter: Follow @IntelSecurity
for live online safety updates and tips. Use hashtag #RiskyCeleb to
discuss the Most Dangerous Celebrities of 2016
- Web surfers can also visit the Intel
Security Facebook page at www.facebook.com/intelsecurity 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 helps protect most PCs, Macs and tablets
and smartphones. It also includes malware detection software,
McAfee® Mobile Security, to better protect your smartphone or
tablet from many types of malware.
Survey Methodology
Intel Security conducted the study using McAfee® WebAdvisor site
ratings to determine the number of risky sites generated by
searches, on Google*, Bing* and Yahoo!*, that included a celebrity
name and commonly searched terms (noted below) likely to yield
malware. From that, an overall risk percentage was calculated for
each celebrity. “Most dangerous” means that these celebrities are
likely popular search subjects.
McAfee SiteAdvisor technology helps protect 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* and
Firefox*. Search terms included:
- “Celeb name + Torrent”
- “Celeb name + Free MP4”
- “Celeb name + HD download”
The results indicated the percentage of risk of running into
online threats – if a user clicked all the results generated by the
terms. Fans clicking on sites deemed risky and downloading files
including photos and videos from those sites may also be prone to
downloading viruses and malware.
About Intel Security
Intel Security, with its McAfee product line, is dedicated to
making the digital world safer and more secure for everyone. Intel
Security is a division of Intel Corporation. Learn more
at www.intelsecurity.com.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in
the United States and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of
others.
No computer system can be absolutely secure.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160927006770/en/
Intel CorporationMary Salvaggio,
646-527-5858mary.salvaggio@intel.comorAshley Dolezal,
650-801-0931ashley.dolezal@zenogroup.com
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