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
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- (Business Wire)
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
protectionthat 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 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/
Contacts:
McAfee, part of Intel Security
Kim Eichorn, 408-455-2172
Kim_Eichorn@mcafee.com
or
DKC
Eva
Ross, 212-981-5218
Eva_Ross@dkcnews.com
Source: McAfee, Inc.
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