Google Jimmy Kimmel at your own risk. Apparently, the host of the late-night TV show was named the most dangerous cyber celebrity of 2014.
According to a study by computer security company McAfee, Kimmel is the most dangerous celebrity to search for online. Searching for the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! has a 19 percent chance of landing on a website that has viruses, malware, or spyware.
Kimmel addressed the findings on his Tuesday's show. Kimmel said he couldn't believe that a kid who played the clarinet and carried a briefcase to junior high grew up to be the most dangerous celebrity. "It's an honor just to be nominated, but to win this thing [is even better]," he joked.
McAfee ranked EDM DJ Armin van Buuren number two on its list of cybercrime celebrities. "I had no idea who that was so I looked him up and now I have virus," Kimmel joked.
Similarly to those behind the celebrity nude photos scandal, it is not the celebrities that use the Internet as a weapon, but rather cybercriminals who are taking advantage of popular searches.
"Most consumers are completely unaware of the security risks that exist when searching for celebrity and entertainment news, images and videos online, sacrificing safety for immediacy," McAfee's Gary Davis said. "Cybercriminals capitalize on consumers' attention to breaking celebrity news and leverage this behavior to lead them to unsafe sites that can severely infect their computers and devices and steal personal data."
The MacAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities study found that searching for pictures of Kimmel has a 19.38 percent chance of landing on a malicious site, followed by DJ Armin van Buuren with 19.33 percent, and singer Ciara rounds out the top three with 19.31 percent.
Other dangerous celebrities that made the list include Flo Rida, Bruce Springsteen, Chelsea Handler and Christina Aguilera.
Googling celebrity names along with the words "video" and "picture" increases the risk of landing on a malicious site. So Google at your own risk.
