Heidi Klum Named Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace by McAfee

Heidi Klum has replaced Cameron Diaz as the most dangerous celebrity to search for on the Web, according to Internet security company McAfee (NASDAQ:INTC). For the fifth year in a row, McAfee researched popular culture’s most famous people to reveal the riskiest celebrity athletes, musicians, politicians, comedians and Hollywood stars on the Web. The McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities^TM study found movie stars and models top the "most dangerous” list this year, while singers and sports stars are among the safest.

Heidi Klum Named Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace by McAfee (Photo: Business Wire)

Cybercriminals often use the names of popular celebrities to lure people to sites that are actually laden with malicious software. Anyone looking for the latest videos or pictures could end up with a malware-ridden computer instead of just trendy content.

"While slightly safer than last year, searching for top celebrities continues to generate risky results,” said Paula Greve, director of Web security research at McAfee. "Consumers should be particularly aware of malicious content hiding in ‘tiny’ places like shortened URLs that can spread virally in social networking sites, or through e-mails and text messages from friends.”

Heidi Klum Searches Yield Nearly a One-in-Ten Chance of Landing on a Malicious Site

Fans searching for "Heidi Klum and downloads,” "Heidi Klum and ‘free’ downloads,” "Heidi Klum and screensavers,” "Heidi Klum and hot pictures” and "Heidi Klum and videos” are at risk of running into online threats designed to steal personal information. Clicking on these risky sites and downloading files like photos, videos or screensavers exposes surfers or consumers to the risk of downloading viruses and malware.

McAfee research found that searching for the latest Heidi Klum pictures and downloads yields more than a nine percent chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.

The study uses McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site ratings, which indicate which sites are risky to search for celebrity names on the Web and calculate an overall risk percentage. The top 10 celebrities from this year’s study with the highest percentages of risk are:

Gisele Bündchen, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts have all dropped out of this year’s top ten list.

Beware of Victoria’s Secret Beauties

Two of Victoria’s Secret top models are among the top ten this year. Searching for downloads of sexy Heidi Klum (No. 1) or Adriana Lima (No. 8) can result in landing on a risky site.

Sports Stars and Singers are Safer

Tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick, who came in at No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, last year have dropped to No. 44 and No. 56 on this year’s list. Singer Justin Bieber was No. 49 this year, followed by Rihanna and Carrie Underwood who were tied at No. 51, and Lady Gaga was No. 58.

Headlines Don’t Equate to Risk

This year actor Charlie Sheen made headlines with his highly public departure from "Two and a Half Men” and his one-man roadshow, among other things. Despite the publicity, however, Sheen is not classified as a "dangerous” celebrity. Sheen ranked No. 59 on this year’s list, with less than three percent of searches yielding risky results. Lindsay Lohan, another tabloid favorite, ranked No. 18 on this year’s list, tied with Gwen Stefani and Reese Witherspoon.

"Hot movies and TV shows, awards and industry accolades seem to be more of a factor than headline-grabbing activity,” said Greve. "Still, searching for any celebrity can bring up risky sites and the public should use caution by not clicking on any page that looks suspicious.”

Keep Safe with McAfee SiteAdvisor LIVE software

McAfee security experts urge consumers to surf safely by using McAfee Total Protection™ security software, a security suite that offers consumers anti-virus, anti-spyware, identity and firewall protection, and with SiteAdvisor, which displays red, yellow or green web safety ratings within Internet search results pages. It also blocks risky websites, adds anti-phishing protection, and helps users more safely surf, shop and bank online.

Consumers can also safely surf the Web by using Secure Search box located within the web browser, which automatically blocks "red” sites within a user’s search results that have potentially dangerous downloads including viruses, spyware and other harmful software.

Web surfers should visit the McAfee Security Advice Center and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcafee for information on the latest threats, and tips on surfing safely. A complimentary version of SiteAdvisor software can be downloaded quickly at www.siteadvisor.com.

About McAfee SiteAdvisor technology

McAfee SiteAdvisor technology protects users from malicious websites and browser exploits. SiteAdvisor technology tests and rates nearly every trafficked site on the Internet and uses red, yellow and green icons to indicate the website’s risk level.

SiteAdvisor site ratings are created by using patented advanced technology to conduct automated website tests. SiteAdvisor software works with Internet Explorer and Firefox.

About McAfee

McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the Web more securely. Backed by its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security. McAfee is relentlessly focused on constantly finding new ways to keep our customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com

Note: McAfee, the McAfee logo, SiteAdvisor and McAfee Total Protection are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc., or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. ©2011 McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.

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