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Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA Listmaster

NRT-0622 Internet searches on celebrity names direct users to malicious Web sites:

Internet searches for various celebrities' names, including Brad Pitt, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake, have been found to be the most likely to lead users to a malicious Web site, according to an online news report.

McAfee researchers said Internet users searching on 'Brad Pitt' have nearly a one‑in‑five chance of encountering a potentially malicious Web site. Around 18 percent of searches lead to wallpapers, screen savers, and photos that carry some sort of malware, and searching for a Brad Pitt screensaver boosts the infection risk up to 50 percent.

The second most dangerous celebrity query is Beyonce and the third is Justin Timberlake. McAfee warned that searching for the singers' ring tones was particularly risky for users and could lead to malware infection and stolen personal information.

In early 2008, a major malware attack resulted from Internet searches for a famous film star.

[vnunet.com 17 Sep 08]

Last Modified: Friday, 10-Oct-2008 12:46:26 EDT

NOW READ THIS ("Security Advisory")

NRT-0622 Internet searches on celebrity names direct users to malicious Web sites:

NOW READ THIS
("Security Advisory")