Cyber security firm McAfee has proclaimed UK TV show host Graham Norton as the most dangerous person to search for online.
What this means is that cyber crooks are using Graham Norton’s name to lure those surfing the web to malicious websites which then attempt to trick you into downloading malware.
Crooks will often use trending events, celebrity gossip and highly sought after downloads to their advantage. Such crooks can create websites that purport to offer what they know lots of people are searching for, and use those sites to initiate malware attacks on those that visit them.
This means that Internet surfers using search engines to search for specific information about a particular celebrity could wind up ending up on one of these malicious websites. Other celebrities to appear on McAfee’s list of dangerous celebrities include Idris Elba, Ricky Gervais, Margot Robbie and Mick Jagger.
In most cases, a user visiting a malicious website that wanted to infect a visitor’s computer with malware would first have to agree to download the malware (of course, the website won’t call it malware!) So the first step to avoiding scams like these is to never agree to allow anything to download or install on your device if you don’t trust the website – no matter what the website tells you it is!
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In a minority of cases, websites can download content to your computer without you agreeing to it or authorising it. This is called a “drive-by download”. They are often caused by software vulnerabilities. To minimise the chances of this happening, always make sure your operating system, web browser and any other software on your computer is up-to-date (and have all the latest security patches.)
Avoid illegal streaming sites or torrent websites. Cyber crooks will frequently use these sites to entice visitors. Stick to reputable sites that you know and trust, and be sceptical of websites offering you “exclusive” or too-good-to-be-true content.
Always use reliable security software which can detect threats and malicious downloads before they infect your device.