New Delhi: International comedian and host Jimmy Kimmel has topped the Most Dangerous Cyber Celebrity of 2014 list, released by computer security company McAfee.
'Jimmy Kimmel' searches online yield a nearly one-in-five chance of landing on a malicious site. The research found that searching for the latest Jimmy Kimmel pictures and downloads yields more than a 19 percent chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.
This research is conducted annually since the past eight years to find out who among popular culture has the riskiest personalities on the web.
Kimmel, known for late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" has replaced Lily Collins as McAfee's most dangerous celebrity to search for online.
He is the second male to find his way to the top spot following Brad Pitt in 2008.
This year, DJ Armin van Buuren takes the number two spot, and Ciara, the third. Celebrities like Blake Shelton, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Chelsea Handler, Flo Rida and Christina Aguilera round up the top 10.
Cyber criminals often take advantage of the public's fascination with celebrities to lure them to sites laden with malware, which enable them to steal passwords and personal information.
“Most consumers are completely unaware of the security risks that exist when searching for celebrity and entertainment news, images and videos online, sacrificing safety for immediacy,” Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee, said in a statement.
“Cyber criminals capitalise on consumers' attention to breaking celebrity news and leverage this behaviour to lead them to unsafe sites that can severely infect their computers and devices and steal personal data," Davis added.
