Amy Schumer and Justin Bieber top the 2016 McAfee 'Most Dangerous Celebrities' list
When people think of online malware, they sometimes think infections only come from 'bad' websites, such as pornography and warez. Yeah, those types of sites can definitely house malware, but so can any site. In fact, bad guys will often target users through seemingly wholesome places, where a person may let their guard down.
Today, McAfee announces its annual 'Most Dangerous Celebrities' list. No, the celebrities themselves are not a danger to the public -- as far as I know, at least. Actually, these are people that, when their names are entered as search terms, can cause an increased chance of leading to malware. For 2016, McAfee lists Amy Schumer as the most dangerous in this regard.
"Female comedian superstar Amy Schumer knocked electronic dance music (EDM) DJ Armin van Buuren off of the list to become the most dangerous celebrity to search for online, according to Intel Security. Now in its 10th year, the McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities study, published by Intel Security, researched a broad list of well-known figures including actors, comedians, musicians, TV hosts, athletes and more. This research uncovers which celebrities generate the most dangerous search results that could expose fans to viruses and malware while searching for the latest information on today’s pop culture icons", says McAfee.
The company further says, "savvy cybercriminals continue to leverage consumers' ongoing fascination with celebrity news -- such as award and TV shows as well as movie premieres, album releases, celebrity breakups and more -- to entice unsuspecting fans to visit sites loaded with malware that can steal passwords and personal information. The study conducted by Intel Security highlights the various ways hackers can take advantage of consumers’ interest around pop culture news, the risks of their online behavior and how to best protect themselves from potential threats".
You can see the top 10 below.
| Position | Celebrity | Percentage | ||||||||
| 1 | Amy Schumer | 16.11% | ||||||||
| 2 | Justin Bieber | 15.00% | ||||||||
| 3 | Carson Daly | 13.44% | ||||||||
| 4 | Will Smith | 13.44% | ||||||||
| 5 | Rihanna | 13.33% | ||||||||
| 6 | Miley Cyrus | 12.67% | ||||||||
| 7 | Chris Hardwick | 12.56% | ||||||||
| 8 | Daniel Tosh | 11.56% | ||||||||
| 9 | Selena Gomez | 11.11% | ||||||||
| 10 | Kesha | 11.11% |
The celebrity gossip du jour is the impending divorce between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Those two celebrities could end up on the top of the list next year. For now, Amy Schumer and Justin Bieber are the top two, with Carson Daly and Will Smith tied for the third spot. While most of the list makes sense, Mr. Daly is a surprise. No disrespect to the man, but he isn't exactly A-list nowadays. Quite frankly, it is a mystery as to how he made this list.
Are you surprised by anyone on the list? Tell me in the comments.