Model and TV personality Kelly Brook is most dangerous; also dangerous are Jordan (also known as Katie Price), Radio One breakfast DJ Nick Grimshaw (pictured); Rita Ora; Victoria Beckham; Kate Middleton; Idris Elba; Frank Lampard; Jeremy Clarkson and Tom Hardy.
They are the ten most dangerous celebs to search for online in the UK according to Intel Security. For the ninth year in a row, the arm of IT product firm Intel researched popular culture’s most famous people to see which of them generates the most dangerous search results. The study suggested that searches for certain musicians and models tend to expose internet searchers in the UK to more possible viruses and malware. This is Kelly Brook’s first time in that list of the most dangerous celebrities; last year’s was Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. The ten most dangerous were a mix of musical artists, TV personalities, actors and models.
The IT firm makes the point that cybercriminals are always looking for ways to take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture events whether talent shows, movies premieres, album releases, or celebrity breakups. They capitalise on this interest by enticing unsuspecting consumers to sites laden with malware.
Nick Viney, VP consumer, mobile and small business, Intel Security, said: “The desire for consumers to have access to the latest celebrity gossip can often make them vulnerable to cybercrime. Most consumers are unaware of the potential risks they are exposing themselves to by clicking on sites that provide them with the latest news and entertainment. But cybercriminals are quick to exploit this desire for breaking celebrity news, leading consumers to sites that download harmful malware onto devices and steal their private data.”
People looking to download free music and films may be especially at risk. Celebrity names combined with the terms ‘free MP4, ‘HD downloads,’ or ‘torrent’ are some of the most searched terms on the Internet and when consumers search for music that is not made available through legitimate channels, they put both their digital lives and devices at risk, the IT firm warns. Other models who found themselves in the top 20 in this year’s study were Cara Delevigne (14) and Kate Moss (15).
Three out of this year’s four X Factor judges made the top 20 in 2015 with newcomers Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora taking third and fourth place respectively. The former Cheryl Cole found herself drop from the top spot to 18th place this year, suggesting that her new marital surname could have made her a little safer online.
Advice
Intel suggests that you beware of clicking on third-party links; instead, access content directly from official websites of content providers. Visit official news sites that you trust for breaking news and don’t download videos from suspect sites. Use caution when searching for “HD downloads.” This term is by far the highest virus-prone search term. Consumers searching for videos or files to download should be careful as not to unleash unsafe content such as malware onto their computers.
