Most Dangerous Web Celebrities 2010

Security Company McAfee Inc has come out with its “Most dangerous web celeb list” for 2010. The basic criterion behind the list is the degree of danger, a particular celebrity, brings in for a net user, when he/she searches the said celebrity.

Topping the 2010 list is the 37 year old "Knight and Day" star Cameron Diaz.

Diaz, 37, is top of the list of the most dangerous celebrities to search for online. Second place is held by Julia Roberts. Last year's most dangerous Web celebrity, Jessica Biel, fell to third.

Diaz topped the list as, 1 in 10 websites featuring the star contain malicious software intended to infect computers and steal data from users, according to research released on Thursday by McAfee.

Creators of malicious software use celebrities as lures, baiting fans and followers to click on and download seemingly innocuous content containing programs designed to steal passwords and other private information for profit.

These malicious software makers, studiously research the things people search online. They follow hot topics on the Web and create their poisonous content accordingly.

No surprise, celebrities figure as one of their favorite ideas to work on, as they know the craziness people have for the celebs.

Other celebs on the List are:

-- Supermodel Gisele Bundchen at number 4

-- Brad Pitt at number 5 (one of only two men to be listed in the top ten. Other being mi3 star Tom Cruise. Brad Pitt is historically one of the most dangerous celebrities to search on).

-- Former Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima at number 6

--Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Nicole Kidman, both at number 7

-- Tom Cruise at number 8

--Heidi Klum and Penelope, both at number 9

--Anna Paquin, the star of TV hit "True Blood" at number 10

This is the fourth time McAfee published the annual list of dangerous web celebrities.

Points that need to be emphasized here are: McAfee is seeing the same types of malicious software being distributed, but in higher numbers. The company tracked an increased number of malware in the second quarter of 2010 than ever before.
In the second quarter of 2010, the security company found 6 million unique, newly created pieces of malicious programming. This makes for about 60,000 pieces per day. --------

Share This:

Facebook

Twitter

Google Plus

Pinterest

Linkedin