Bach Seat

It that time of year again! McAfee Intel Security has named the most dangerous celebrities on the Intertubes. And I have no idea who Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ Armin van Buuren is. Despite that, he is Intel’s most dangerous web celeb. To regain my street creds – I have been gone to DEMF –YO PEACE OUT. The EDM DJ replaces talk show host Jimmy Kimmel as Intel Security’s most dangerous celebrity to search for online.

For the ninth year in a row, The Intel Security Most Dangerous Celebrities™ study revealed that searches for certain musicians and comedians tend to expose Internet searchers to more possible viruses and malware.

The presser from Intel (INTC) Security warns that cybercriminals are always looking for ways to take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture events including award shows, TV shows, and movie premieres, album releases, celebrity breakups, and more. They capitalize on this interest by enticing unsuspecting consumers to sites laden with malware, which enables them to steal passwords and personal information.

Stacey Conner, online safety expert at Intel Security says that trying to download or listen to free music can be especially risky.

Celebrity names combined with the terms ‘free MP4, ‘HD downloads,’ or ‘torrent’ are some of the most searched terms on the Web … When consumers search for music that is not made available through legitimate channels, they put both their digital lives and devices at risk.

Top 10 risky celebrities

The top 10 celebrities from the 9th annual Intel Security Most Dangerous Celebrities™ study with the highest risk percentages are:

1. Armin van Buuren
2. Luke Bryan
3. Usher
4. Britney Spears
5. Jay Z
6. Katy Perry
7. Amy Schumer
8. Betty White
9. Lorde
10. Nina Dobrev

Musicians are 7 of the top 10 riskiest online celebrities (and good click-bait). Other risky artists in the top 20 are:
Justin Bieber (No. 11),
Rihanna (No. 12),
Jennifer Lopez and Kenny Chesney (tied at No. 13),
Selena Gomez (No. 14),
Zendaya (No. 15),
Kanye West (No. 16),
Afrojack and Miley Cyrus (tied at No. 19), and
Nick Jonas (No. 20).

Other celebrities who round out the 20
riskiest online celebrities.
Antonio Banderas (No. 14),
Nicole Kidman (No. 15),
Zac Efron (No. 17),
Natalie Portman (No. 18),
Paul Wesley (No. 18)
Sandra Bullock (No. 19),
Jennifer Lawrence (No. 20),

Riskiest celebrities around the world

• In the UK, model and TV personality Kelly Brook is Intel Security’s most dangerous celebrity on the internet this year.
• Nicole Kidman is Australia’s most #RiskyCeleb
• Donnie Yen is the most dangerous celebrity to search for online in Singapore in 2015.
• Actress Nina Dobrev is Canada’s most dangerous cyber celeb
•  Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the world’s most dangerous Swedish online celebrity.

Better Protect Yourself

While doing your star-struck surfing, Intel Security offers some suggestions on How You Can Better Protect Yourself:

• Beware of clicking on third-party links. You should access content directly from the official websites of content providers. For example, visit reputable site ComedyCentral.com to find Amy Schumer’s latest episodes.
• Use web protection that will tell you of risky sites or links before you visit them and it’s too late. Stick to official news sites for breaking news.
• Only download videos from well-known, legitimate sites. Most news clips you’d want to see can easily be found on official video sites and don’t require you to download anything.
• Use caution when searching for “HD downloads.” This term is by far the highest virus-prone search term. Consumers searching for videos or files to download should be careful not to unleash unsafe content such as malware onto their computers.
• Always use password protection on all mobile devices. If you don’t and your phone is lost or stolen, anyone who picks up the device could have access to your personal information online.
• Don’t “log in” or give other information. If you receive a message, text, or email or visit a third-party website that asks for your information — including your credit card, email, home address, Facebook login — to grant access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out. Such requests are a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity theft.
• Search online using a tool, such as McAfee® WebAdvisor software, which protects users from malicious websites and browser exploits.

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Maybe I’m just being grumpy, but McAfee has done this for 9 years and people are still falling for this online celebrity malware staff – sigh – They were right – One born every day.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.