Love Island host Caroline Flack ‘most dangerous celebrity to search online’
TV presenter knocked Kim Kardashian off the top spot
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Caroline Flack has come top of a list of the most dangerous celebrities to search for online in the UK, according to a study by a leading cyber-security firm.
McAfee has revealed which stars produce the most dangerous search results with the potential to expose online users to malicious websites and viruses.
The Love Island host knocked Kim Kardashian off the top spot, and is joined by Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and presenter and actor James Corden in second and third place respectively.
Flack also made it into McAfee’s 2018 top five, while rapper Nicki Minaj and singer Billie Eilish joined her in this year’s top five.
Actors Mischa Barton and Liam Hemsworth and singers Sam Smith and Dua Lipa make up the remainder of the top ten, alongside Josh Gad – the actor who voiced Frozen’s Olaf – who also ranked as a risky name to search.
Kim Kardashian dropped to 26th place this year.
The online security company measured the number of search results featuring a celebrity name included links to suspect sites that could steal private data, slow down your computer or even install viruses.
Searches to find out about more about a favourite celebrity can sometimes contain dangerous links that, once clicked, can redirect users into entering sites with the potential to trigger a virus.
Scrolling through sites at speed, on multiple devices, can also further enhance the risk of exposure.
While Love Island’s popularity continues to grow, Raj Samani, chief scientist and McAfee fellow is unsurprised by the results.
“People want to keep up to date with the latest pop culture and celebrity news at any time from any device,” he said.
“Often consumers put that speed and convenience over security by clicking on suspicious links that promise content featuring our favourite celebrities.
“Consumers need to think before they click to be sure that they are surfing to safe digital content and protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats that may be used to infect their devices or steal their identity,” he added.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments