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Even being an A list celebrity can’t save Hugh Jackman from the clutches of cybercrims
Hugh Jackman is the most dangerous Australian celebrity to search for in cyberspace, claims Internet security company McAfee. The security software specialist has put out its annual list of Hollywood celebrities most likely to cause your computer to go into meltdown due to cybercrims targetting websites with A-listers attached.
.Making up the top five Aussies on the list are Nicole Kidman (2), Delta Goodrem (3), Cate Blanchett (4), and Jennifer Hawkins (5), while Jessica Biel has overtaken Brad Pitt as the most dangerous Hollywood star.
Web users looking to catch up on gossip or searching for wallpaper, screensavers, and photos of their favourite stars can be at risk for downloading spyware, adware, spam, and viruses along with the latest celebrity scoop.
This is one accolade that most celebrities would avoid like the plague. Half the battle in Hollywood is trying to keep a high-profile, but if word gets out that a celebrity’s name is Internet poison, then their profile could suffer irreparable damage in one of the most popular media in the world – cyberspace.
McAfee compiled its third annual list using McAfee SiteAdvisor technology for celebrity names that produce the largest number of risky sites and overall risk percentage, when searched on the Web.
“Cybercriminals pay close attention to the world’s most famous people and target Internet users searching for information on their favourite celebrities,” said Michael Sentonas, Director of SE and Services, McAfee Asia Pacific. “Consumers should be aware that celebrity photos, videos and downloads can often come with harmful malware.”
Jessica Biel’s new found stardom as the number one most dangerous star in cyberspace means that fans searching for “Jessica Biel” or “Jessica Biel downloads,” “Jessica Biel wallpaper,” “Jessica Biel screen savers,” “Jessica Biel photos” and “Jessica Biel videos” have a one in five chance of landing at a Web site that’s tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.
Pop music phenom Beyoncé maintained her number two position for the second consecutive year, setting McAfee’s record as the overall most frequent, highly-ranked celebrity in the top five.
