Noooooooo!! How could Kylie Minogue be considered dangerous? Perhaps I missed that episode of Neighbours? And I am sure there are no ‘danger’ themes in her music. Well, definitely not in Locomotion or I Should Be So Lucky!!
But yes, it is true. Aussie pop legend Kylie Minogue is Australia’s 2013 Most Dangerous Celebrity, according to the annual study by McAfee – the world’s largest dedicated security technology company. For the seventh year in a row, the company researched popular culture’s most famous people and identified the list of the riskiest sites for searching celebrity names using its website rating tool McAfee SiteAdvisor®.
And whilst Kylie topped the Aussie list it was American actress Lily Collins, star of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Mirror, Mirror, who won the title of McAfee’s 2013 most dangerous celebrity to search for online worldwide.
The McAfee Most Dangerous CelebritiesTMstudy also found that, for a second year in a row, women are more dangerous than men both in Australia and internationally. In Australia, musician Guy Sebastian is the only male to reach top ten status whilst internationally, Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame is the only bloke to take out a top spot.
So, what is it that makes Kylie dangerous? How does it all work?
Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to make a buck. And targeting fans who are keen to find out more about their favourite idols (such as Kylie) can be very lucrative. So cybercriminals design websites with the aim of attracting fans but fill the site with malware. Malware aka malicious software is designed to steal passwords, gather personal information or gain access to the private computer systems of innocent web surfers. It may take the form of a worm, a virus or even a Trojan. But, in short, it isn’t good.
So, to avoid cybercrims gaining access to your personal information while you are searching for news of your favourite celebrity, make sure you take note of the following tips:
- Beware content that prompts you to download anything before providing you with the content.
- “Free downloads” are the highest virus-prone search term. Be VERY careful not to unleash malware on your computer.
- Download a complimentary version of SiteAdvisor software at www.siteadvisor.com. This adds safety ratings to your browser and search engine results to help you know which sites are safe to visit.
- Established news sites may not entice you with exclusives for one solid reason: there usually aren’t any. Try to stick to official news sites that you trust for breaking news.
- Don’t “log in” or provide other information: If you receive a message, text or email or visit a third-party website that asks for your information—credit card, email, home address, Facebook login, or other information—for access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out.
- Ensure your household’s devices have protection such as McAfee LiveSafe™ so you can search safely. LiveSafe protects all devices from your PCs, Macs, and tablets to your smartphone.
To check out whether your favourite celebrity is dangerous, take a look at the entire results here. You may just need to find another!
‘Till Next Time
Alex