Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ Armin van Buuren replaces comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel as Intel Security’s most dangerous celebrity to search for online. For the ninth year in a row, Intel Security researched popular culture’s most famous people to reveal which of them generates the most dangerous search results. The Intel Security Most Dangerous Celebrities study revealed that searches for certain musicians and comedians tend to expose Internet searchers to more possible viruses and malware.
Armin van Buuren is the first DJ and the third male, following Brad Pitt in 2008 and Jimmy Kimmel in 2014, to find his way to the No. 1 spot (moving up from No. 2 in 2014). Usher takes the No. 3 spot between Luke Bryan at No. 2 and Britney Spears at No. 4. Rounding out the top 10 are Amy Schumer (No. 7), Betty White (No. 8), Lorde (No. 9) and Nina Dobrev (No. 10). Seven of the top 10 are musical artists, ranging from EDM artists to country, hip hop and pop.
Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture events including award shows, TV show and movies premieres, album releases, celebrity breakups, and more. They capitalize on this interest by enticing unsuspecting consumers to sites laden with malware, which enables them to steal passwords and personal information.
“With today’s busy culture and a desire for real time information, consumers often click on sites that will quickly provide them with news and entertainment, without considering safety and security implications,” said Stacey Conner, online safety expert at Intel Security. “Cybercriminals leverage this need for immediacy by encouraging people to visit unsafe sites that can steal private data.”
It appears that people looking to download or listen to free music may be especially at risk. “Celebrity names combined with the terms ‘free MP4, ‘HD downloads,’ or ‘torrent’ are some of the most searched terms on the Web,” continues Conner. “When consumers search for music that is not made available through legitimate channels, they put both their digital lives and devices at risk.”
Nearly 1 in 5 Results Generated by Armin van Buuren Searches Are Links to Malicious Sites
Intel Security research found that clicking on results generated by searching for “Armin van Buuren” combined with the terms "free MP4,” “HD downloads,” or “torrent” yields almost a 1 in 5 chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.
The top 10 celebrities from this year’s study with the highest risk percentages are:
Position
|
Celebrity
|
Percentage
|
1
|
Armin van Buuren
|
17.92%
|
2
|
Luke Bryan
|
17.64%
|
3
|
Usher
|
16.67%
|
4
|
Britney Spears
|
16.39%
|
5
|
Jay Z
|
15.83%
|
6
|
Katy Perry
|
14.86%
|
7
|
Amy Schumer
|
14.72%
|
8
|
Betty White
|
14.03%
|
9
|
Lorde
|
13.61%
|
10
|
Nina Dobrev
|
13.19%
|
Musicians Mix to the Top of the List
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