McAfee, an American global computer security software company, has released the 12th iteration of its yearly “Most Dangerous Celebrities” to search online, finding Australian actress Ruby Rose the most risky.
Yes, that’s the message of McAfee to fans of celebrities worldwide: Be careful in your search for celebrities because it can be dangerous to your personal information and other data.
News highlights:
- Actress Ruby Rose is named the most dangerous celebrity to search for online according to McAfee study
- Actor Paul Rudd, also commonly known as The Ant Man, came out top as Singapore’s most dangerous celebrity
- Study reveals which celebrities generate the most dangerous results that could expose consumers to malicious websites and malware
- From Kristin Cavallari to Amber Heard, celebrities in the top 10 include a variety of superheroes, reality stars and the cast from Orange Is the New Black
Real, eminent threat
The annual study of the technology company based in Sta. Ana, California, highlights the dangers of clicking suspicious links when searching for celebrity-focused content.
“This is a real and eminent threat in today’s digital first landscape, evidenced by the results of McAfee’s recent threat reports which found high levels of malware growth, especially on the cryptomining front which in Q2 2018 increased 86 percent from the previous quarter,” Singapore-based PRecious Communications PR agency emphasized.
McAfee’s release of its research comes in the wake of high concerns in Asia Pacific concerning cybersecurity because of numerous high profile security breaches in recent months.
The latest research looks into which celebrities generate the riskiest search results that potentially exposes ardent fans to malicious websites and the risk of malware.
Rose portrayed Stella Carlin in Orange is the New Black, a Netflix series; she replaced singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne (No.1 in 2017) at the top of the most dangerous celebrity to search for online in 2018.
Following Rose at No. 2 is reality TV star Kristin Cavallari; French actress Marion Cotillard at No. 3; Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, came in at No. 4; actress Rose Byrne, No. 5; Debra Messing, star of Will and Grace, No. 6; reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian, No. 7; actress Amber Heard, No. 8; morning TV host show Kelly Ripa, No. 9; and coming at No. 10, actor Brad William Henke.
Meanwhile, McAfee conducted a Singapore edition for the Most Dangerous Celebrity search and found actor Paul Rudd the most dangerous to search online. He is Ant Man in the movie of the same title.
Emerging at No. 2, Sabrina Claudio; No. 3, Hugh Jackson; No. 4, Kim Kardashian; No. 5, Khloe Kardashian; No. 6, Scarlett Johansson; No. 7, Adele; No. 8, Emma Watson; No. 9, Gordon Ramsey; and Benedict Cumberbatch).
With her on top of the search, Rose now has the distinction of being the “first Australian to take the top spot onthe McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities study.” She started as a model, then MTV JT, then as Batwoman. Her career took off when she was cast in the Netflix series.
Cybercriminals are known to use celebrity’s allure as bait to get online search into visiting malicious websites that can be used to install malware or steal personal information and passwords.
In relation with this, Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee, advised everyone to think twice before opening links and to not sacrifice security for immediacy.
“We live in a fast-paced world that’s heavily influenced by pop culture, where it’s possible to pick and choose which entertainment options we prefer to enjoy from a variety of connected devices.
“Often consumers put speed and convenience over security by clicking suspicious links that promise content featuring our favorite celebrities, such our favorite movies, TV shows or pictures. In our hyper-connected world, it’s important for consumers to think before they click to be sure that they are surfing to safe digital content and protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats that may be used to infect their devices or steal their identity,” said Davis.
Here’s McAfee’s suggestions on how to search safely:
- Be careful what you click. Users looking for a sneak-peek of the CW series, Batwoman starring Ruby Rose should be cautious and only download directly from a reliable source. The safest thing to do is to wait for the official release instead of visiting a third-party website that could contain malware. Apply system and application updates as soon as they are available. Very often the operating system and application updates include security fixes. Applying updates is an important step to help ensure devices stay protected.
- Browse with security protection. McAfee Total Protection is a comprehensive security solution that can help keep devices protected against malware, phishing attacks, and other threats. It includes McAfee WebAdvisor which can help protect against going to malicious websites.
- Use parental control software. Kids are fans of celebrities too, so ensure that limits are set on the child’s device and use software that can help minimize exposure to potentially malicious or inappropriate websites.
Images via PRecious Communications exeutives and staff based in Singapore, the Lion City.
In the 2017 Most Dangerous Celebrities to search online, musicians ranked high in the list. That’s no longer the case in 2018. Adele was the highest ranked musician at No. 21 followed by Shakira (No. 27), 2017’s top celebrity Avril Lavigne (No. 30), Lady Gaga (No. 35), Kehlani (47), Britney Spears (57), Ed Sheeran (74) and Diddy who finished at No. 9 in 2017 fell to No. 76. Similarly, for the most dangerous celebrity list in Singapore, the only musician within the top 10 is Adele at No. 7. (EKU)