These are the most dangerous celebrities to search for online: Full list here

If you are looking for search results related to Bollywood actresses Tabu, Taapsee Pannu, Anushka Sharma and Sonakshi Sinha,  chances are high that you may land on some malicious link or website. According to cybersecurity company McAfee’s research these actresses are among the top 10 personalities generating the riskiest search results online in India.

But it was global football sensation Cristiano Ronaldo who claimed the numero uno spot on McAfee’s Most Dangerous Celebrity list 2020. Ronaldo is only international celebrity and sportsperson who has made it to the list, which this year is dominated by the names from showbiz.

Following Ronaldo as the No. 2 most dangerous celebrity is veteran actress Tabu. She was recent applauded for her roles in critically acclaimed movies like Andhadhun and A Suitable Boy. Just behind her is Taapsee Pannu who has given back to back successful movies.

Other eminent celebrities including Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sara Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arijit Singh, etc also feature in this year’s list.

In 2020, owing to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, Indians have been particularly active online, increasing their usage across many devices and scouring the internet for a wide variety of entertainment.

From free movies and TV shows to the latest celebrity news and gossip, consumers turned to digital celebrity content to entertain themselves. Hackers too, honed-in on this trend, following consumer behavior to execute their scam strategies.

The top 10 celebrities from this year’s India study are:

1: Cristiano Ronaldo

2: Tabu

3: Taapsee Pannu

4: Anushka Sharma

5: Sonakshi Sinha

6: Armaan Malik

7: Sara Ali Khan

8: Divyanka Tripathi

9: Shah Rukh Khan

10: Arijit Singh

Tips to Help Consumers Stay Safe Online:

Consumers can do their part by being vigilant in practising safe online behaviour with the following tips:

• Be careful what you click. Users looking for the latest releases, as well as updates on their favourite celebrities, should be cautious and only click on links to reliable sources. The safest thing to do is to wait for official releases and leverage legitimate TV and movie streaming platforms, instead of visiting third-party websites that could contain malware.
• Refrain from illegal streaming and downloading suspicious mp3s. Whether consumers prefer catching a re-run of Andhadhun or listening to Arijit’s divine voice, it is important to only use legitimate music and movie streaming platforms, even if they come at a cost. Many illegal downloads are riddled with malware or adware disguised as mp3 files.
• Protect your online safety with a cybersecurity solution. Safeguard yourself from cybercriminals with a comprehensive security solution. This can help protect you from malware, phishing attacks, and other threats.
• Use parental control software. Kids are fans of celebrities too, so ensure that limits are set for your child on their devices and use parental control software to help minimise exposure to potentially malicious or inappropriate websites.