The most dangerous celeb in cyberspace

Why searching for celebrities online is putting you at risk.

13:55 26 August 2009

Glamour model Jordan, otherwise known as Katie Price, is the most dangerous celebrity to search for online, according to new research.

A study by IT security firm, Macfee, showed that up to one in six searches for the OK magazine favourite returned the most URLs to dangerous websites.

16.3% of Jordan-related websites contained some form of risky content attached.

If these URLs were then clicked on, they could lead to the user's computer to suffer a security breach via spyware or a virus.

These sites use celebrities' names and images to lure browsers who are searching for the latest gossip on their favourite celebs to other sites which offers downloads plagued with malware (software designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner's informed consent).

The computer is then at risk of being infiltrated with viruses, with the goal of making the cybercriminal money and committing ID theft.

McAfee's principal security analyst, Greg Day, said: 'Week-in-week-out, we see online scams linked in to dodgy emails, websites and Twitter updates, which are closely linked to the latest celebrity gossip and high-profile news stories.

"A quick flick across the front pages of the latest popular newspapers and magazines offers a fairly reliable snapshot of where the criminals will focus their efforts next."

Actor Jude Law is second in the list, with 15.4% of searches returning a potentially malicious website, while other celebrities including Kate Moss and David and Victoria Beckham made up the rest of the 'dangerous' top five.

Most dangerous UK celebrities in cyberspace

1. Katie Price - 16.3%
2. Jude Law - 15.4%
3. Victoria Beckham - 13.6%
4. Kate Moss - 12.6%
5. David Beckham - 12.1%
6. Daniel Radcliffe – 12%
7. Kerry Katona – 9%
8. Amy Winehouse - 8.6%
9. Cheryl Cole - 8.5%
10. Leona Lewis - 8.3%

Most dangerous US celebrities in cyberspace

1. Jessica Biel - 20.1%
2. Beyonce - 17.9%
3. Tom Brady - 17.4%
4. Jessica Simpson - 17.6%
5. Jennifer Aniston - 12.3%
6. Gisele Bundchen - 15.8%
7. Miley Cyrus - 15.5%
8. Megan Fox - 15.3%
8. Angelina Jolie - 15.3%
9. Ashley Tidsdale - 14.9%
10. Brad Pitt - 14.8%