McAfee's Latest Research Names Hollywood's Most Celebrated Dad Brad Pitt as Riskiest Celebrity to Search for on the Web SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 16
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brad Pitt has
overtaken Paris Hilton as the most dangerous celebrity to search for in
cyberspace according to Internet security company McAfee. For the second year
running, McAfee entered the glamorous world of Hollywood to reveal the
riskiest celebrities in cyberspace.
Checking in on your famous friends is not only a guilty pleasure, but
seriously dangerous for your PC. Fans searching for "Brad Pitt," "Brad Pitt
downloads," and Brad Pitt wallpaper, screen savers and pictures have an 18%
chance of having their PCs infected with online threats, such as spyware,
spam, phishing, adware, viruses and other malware.
Cybercriminals are using A-listers' names and images, like Beyonce and
Justin Timberlake, to lure Internet users who surf the Web for the latest
gossip, screen savers and ringtones to "fake" Web sites that look legitimate.
Actors Brad Pitt and Justin Timberlake are the most dangerous men to seek
on the Internet, while Beyonce and Heidi Montag top the list for women. Paris
Hilton, who topped 2007's most dangerous celebrities, is noticeably absent
from this year's list. Also absent is Britney Spears who was ranked #4 in
2007.
In their second annual report, McAfee compiled the list, using the
McAfee(R) SiteAdvisor(R) technology, of Hollywood celebrity names that produce
the largest number of risky sites when searched for on the Web. The list
includes:
Position Celebrity
1 Brad Pitt -- When "Brad Pitt screensavers" was searched,
more than half of the resulting Web sites were identified
as containing malicious downloads with spyware, adware and
potential viruses.
2 Beyonce -- Inputting "Beyonce ringtones" into a search
engine yields risky Web sites that promote misleading
offers to gather consumers' personal information.
3 Justin Timberlake -- Interest in his high-profile
relationships makes him an easy target for spammers and
hackers. When searching for "Justin Timberlake downloads"
one Web site advertised free music downloads that were
flagged as directly leading to spam, spyware and adware.
4 Heidi Montag -- "The Hills" star is a popular search term
when it comes to searching for wallpaper. A host of
wallpaper Web sites contained hundreds of malware-laden
downloads.
5 Mariah Carey -- Spammers and hackers are using Mariah Carey
screen saver Web sites to link to other sites proven to
contain spyware, adware and other threatening downloads.
6 Jessica Alba -- Red-ranked risky sites were identified when
searching for "Jessica Alba" and "Jessica Alba downloads."
The sites contained hundreds of malicious downloads, links
to other bad sites, misleading offers to gather
information, and a high number of spam emails when an email
address was provided.
7 Lindsay Lohan -- This young Hollywood starlet is as
dangerous to search online as she is famous. Searching for
"Lindsay Lohan downloads" resulted in several dangerous Web
sites laden with hidden adware.
8 Cameron Diaz -- Cybercriminals use download Web sites
related to Cameron Diaz's image to link to other harmful
sites containing spyware.
9 George Clooney, Rihanna -- The technology found one Web
site embedded with hundreds of dangerous wallpaper and
photo downloads after inputting "George Clooney downloads."
"Rihanna pictures" was also a risky search term, as McAfee
identified a site that spammed its test email address.
11Angelina Jolie -- When "Angelina Jolie downloads" was
searched, the software highlighted a risky site with 978
hidden malware-infected wallpaper and photo downloads, as
well as links to other potentially dangerous URLs.
12Fergie -- A Fergie screen saver site was flagged as
offering 111 risky downloads that could seriously
compromise a PC's privacy with unwanted spyware and adware.
13David Beckham, Katie Holmes -- The "David Beckham" search
term generated a great deal of wallpaper and screen saver
downloads veiled with malware. Consumers should also
exercise caution when searching for "Katie Holmes" online
-- one download site advertised free screen savers that, if
downloaded, would infect your computer with malicious
programs like spyware.
15Katherine Heigl -- Hollywood's big headliner in recent
years is now susceptible to Internet lurkers too.
"Katherine Heigl" was searched and a site was identified
containing hundreds of malware-infected pictures.
"Cybercriminals employ numerous methods, yet one of the simplest but most
effective ways is to trick consumers into infecting themselves by capitalizing
on Americans' interest in celebrity gossip," said Jeff Green, Senior Vice
President of McAfee's Product Development & Avert Labs. "Tapping into current
events, pop culture or commonly browsed sites is an easy way to achieve this.
And because of Americans' obsession with following celebrities' lifestyles,
they are an obvious target. We have to take precautions in casually navigating
the Web since many subtle sites may be rife with malware for consumers'
computers."
McAfee SiteAdvisor technology
McAfee SiteAdvisor tests and rates, on an ongoing basis, nearly every
trafficked site on the Internet. SiteAdvisor site ratings are created by using
patented advanced technology to conduct automated Web site tests. In addition,
as part of the user community forum function, users can provide direct
feedback to other users and to McAfee analysts regarding their personal
experience about the sites they visit on the Internet. McAfee SiteAdvisor can
be downloaded quickly and for free at http://www.mcafee.com/siteadvisor.
McAfee SiteAdvisor works with Internet Explorer and Firefox.
SiteAdvisor has received numerous honors, including: five-star reviews
from CNET's download.com, Time Magazine's "50 Coolest Web Sites," Popular
Science's "Best of What's New" and the U.S. Department of Commerce's
"Recognition of Excellence in Innovation" honor.
About McAfee, Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world's
largest dedicated security technology company. It delivers proactive and
proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the
world, allowing users to browse and shop the Web securely. With its unmatched
security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users,
businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to comply
with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities
and continuously monitor and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com.
McAfee, SiteAdvisor and/or other noted McAfee related products contained
herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc., and/or its
affiliates in the US and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with
security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. Any other non-McAfee
related products, registered and/or unregistered trademarks contained herein
is only by reference and are the sole property of their respective owners. (C)
2008 McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE McAfee, Inc.
