14 DAY TRIAL // A top from security firm McAfee, shows the celebrities that are most likely to lead an unsuspecting user into a cyber-trap, and reveals that searching for information about Jimmy Kimmel is currently ahead of the list.
According to the company, looking online for videos and downloads of the comedian and TV personality, is like playing your chances of getting the computer infected; it appears that one in five times the resulting page contains viruses and other malware.
He is the second male to take the number one spot in the history of the top, only Brad Pitt managing this performance in 2008.
The next two positions are occupied by DJ Armin van Buuren and Ciara. Flo Rida and Bruce Springsteen complete the top five celebrities that are likely to lead to malware in searches.
It is not difficult to imagine why crooks would prey on a fan’s interest in a celebrity to infect their computer with malware. The recent celeb hack shows that sometimes motivation is not only financial.
“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.”