Cheryl Cole Named As “Most Dangerous UK Celebrity On The Internet”

Fans of the X Factor may need to start exercising extreme caution when browsing the web for news of the show following the news that one of its judges has been identified as the UK’s riskiest online celebrities.

A survey by security provider McAfee named Cheryl Cole (now known as Cheryl Fernandez-Versini following her recent marriage) as the most dangerous person to search for on the Internet.

An online search for the pop star puts internet users at a 15 percent risk of being directed to a malicious website, the company said.

Crazy stupid love (for malware?)

According to McAfee’s Most Dangerous Celebrity 2014 report, cybercriminals increasingly use terms such as “Cheryl Cole downloads” and Cheryl Cole mp4s” to attract potential victims to click on links or access webpages containing malicious content.

The 31-year-old former Girls Aloud member has dethroned Hollywood star Lily Collins as the UK’s most “dangerous” celebrity to search for, with US chat show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel taking the global number one spot with a 19 percent risk of accessing malicious content.

Daniel Radcliffe, Jessie J, David Beckham and Aleesha Dixon round out the UK’s top five.

“The desire for consumers to have access to the latest celebrity information can often make them vulnerable to cybercrime,” said McAfee Labs’ product manager Samantha Humphries-Swift, as the data was announced.

“Most consumers do not realise the security risks they are exposing themselves to when searching for celebrity videos and images online. But cybercriminals can exploit this desire for breaking celebrity news, leading consumers to sites that download harmful malware onto their devices and compromise personal data.”

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