According to cybersecurity experts, celebrities can generate some very risky online search results that could potentially lead to users accidentally installing malware on their devices.
Names that come with the most risk include actors, musicians and TV personalities we all know, like Sean Combs, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Jimmy Kimmel and other A-listers.
However, according to cybersecurity software company McAfee, actress Anna Kendrick tops this year’s list of most dangerous celebrities to search. Last year, Kendrick was fourth on the list.
Kendrick is followed by Combs, Blake Lively, Mariah Carey, Timberlake, Swift, Kimmel, Julia Roberts, Kate McKinnon and Jason Derulo.
McAfee credits Kendrick’s voice-acting role in Trolls World Tour along with playing other “lovable and quirky characters” in various other productions.
Despite her fame and attractiveness, Kendrick generates the most harmful links online, according to the company.
To nobody’s surprise, Americans are consuming media in loads since COVID-19 lockdown orders began earlier this year. We’re increasingly active online and are streaming movies and TV shows more than ever before, and we’re also looking up our favorite movie stars.
Government officials and security experts have been warning for months of increasing cyberattacks that attempt to exploit remote work and the rapidly changing news cycle.
Cybercriminals take note of our infatuation with celebrity culture to drive traffic to malicious websites where users can become compromised, said Baker Nanduru, vice president of McAfee’s consumer endpoint segment, in a statement.
“Consumers are searching the web for free online entertainment now more than ever, and as cybercriminals continue to implement deceptive practices such as fake sites claiming to offer free content, it is crucial that fans stay vigilant about protecting their digital lives and think twice before clicking,” Nanduru says.
McAfee recommends only visiting reliable and trusted websites, refrain from illegal streaming and downloading suspicious files, invest in a cybersecurity solution and use parental control software.
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