Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is the most dangerous celebrity to search for online in the UK, according to a new study.
The reality TV star, married to musician Kanye West, replaces singer Craig David at the top of cybersecurity firm McAfee’s annual list. Her sister Kourtney Kardashian is at No. 3, behind supermodel Naomi Campbell.
The list “measures how many search results featuring a celebrity’s name contain links to potentially malicious websites used to install malware on computers”,the London Evening Standard reports.
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The Independent explains that cybercriminals often prey on internet users by using popular search terms - such as stars’ names - in links that lead to malicious sites, which then either install malware or steal personal information including passwords.
The only man to feature on this year’s top ten most risky people to search is 2017 Love Island winner Kem Cetinay, at No. 7. The reality show’s host, Caroline Flack, is fifth.
Orange Is The New Black actor Ruby Rose tops the US version of the list, followed by reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and French actor Marion Cotillard, USA Today reports. Kourtney Kardashian comes in at No. 7, while sister Kim doesn’t make America’s top ten, trailing in at No. 19.
McAfee chief scientist Raj Samani said: “We live in a fast-paced world that’s heavily influenced by pop culture and social media, with endless opportunities to pick and choose which entertainment options we prefer to enjoy from a variety of connected devices. With Kim Kardashian’s influence and business ventures, people will go to extreme lengths to be a little more like Kim.”
However, he warned that in our hyper-connected world, “it’s important for consumers to think before they click to be sure that they are surfing to safe digital content and protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats that may be used to infect their devices or steal their identity”.
The top ten most dangerous celebrities to search for on the internet in the UK:
1 Kim Kardashian2 Naomi Campbell3 Kourtney Kardashian4 Adele5 Caroline Flack6 Rose Byrne7 Kem Cetinay8 Britney Spears9 Emma Roberts10 Ferne McCann
