Actress Ruby Rose has replaced singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne as the most dangerous celebrity to search for online.
For the 12th year, McAfee researched famous individuals to reveal the riskiest celebrity to search for online. The research reveals which celebrities generate the riskiest search results that could potentially expose their fans to malicious websites.
From model and MTV VJ to Batwoman, Ruby Rose’s acting career took off in 2015 when she was cast as Stella Carlin in the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. Now Rose can add “first Australian to take the top spot on the McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities study” to her list of accomplishments.
Reality TV star, Kristin Cavallari finished behind Rose at number two, followed by actress Marion Cotillard (number three), the original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter (number four), actress Rose Byrne (number five), star of Will and Grace Debra Messing (number six), reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian (number seven), actress Amber Heard (number eight), morning TV show host Kelly Ripa (number nine) and, finally, actor Brad William Henke round out the top 10.
It’s no secret that cybercriminals attempt to use the allure of celebrity to trick unsuspecting consumers into visiting malicious websites that can be used to install malware or steal personal information and passwords. The study, conducted by McAfee, highlights the dangers of clicking on suspicious links when searching for celebrity-focused content.
“We live in a fast-paced world that’s heavily influenced by pop culture where it’s possible to pick and choose which entertainment options we prefer to enjoy from a variety of connected devices,” says Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee. “Often consumers put speed and convenience over security by clicking on suspicious links that promise content featuring our favourite celebrities, such as our favourite movies, TV shows or pictures.
“In our hyper-connected world, it’s important for consumers to think before they click to be sure that they are landing on safe digital content and protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats that may be used to infect their devices or steal their identity.”
While Kourtney Kardashian may have been trying to put some distance between herself and her family in real life, she accomplished that on this year’s list of most dangerous celebrities. Caitlyn Jenner (number 13) finished closest to the top 10, followed by Kim Kardashian (number 19), Rob Kardashian (number 62), Khloe Kardashian (number 91), Kendall Jenner (number 138), Kylie Jenner (number 152) and Kris Jenner (number 158).
Unlike 2017’s list of most dangerous celebrities, musicians ranked low on this year’s list. Adele was the highest ranked musician at number 21 followed by Shakira (number 27), 2017’s top celebrity Avril Lavigne (number 30), Lady Gaga (number 35), Kehlani (number 47), Britney Spears (number 57), Ed Sheeran (number 74) and Diddy, who finished at number 9 in 2017, fell to number 76.