Beware Heidi Klum: 10 most dangerous celebrities
Heidi Klum is the web's most dangerous celebrity, according to the latest listing by McAfee, the makers of anti-virus software.
Search for her name and you've got about a 9% chance of hitting a site that will quietly load your computer with "malware" -- evil software designed to either spam you with advertisements or steal your passwords to hijack your bank and brokerage accounts.
Cyber criminals often use the names of celebrities to lure unsuspecting consumers to dangerous sites, the software maker says. In fact, the scam is so common that McAfee publishes an annual listing of the nation's most dangerous celebrities to search.
Klum, the Victoria's Secret model turned producer of Project Runway, jumped from tenth on last year's list to the number one position this year -- likely not the #1 ranking she was hoping for. You're particularly likely to hit a malicious site if you search for photos, videos or screen savers of Klum, according to McAfee.
The rest of the 2011's Most Dangerous Celebrities, according to McAfee:
2. Cameron Diaz: Ranked #1 in 2010, Diaz -- star of Bad Teacher and The Green Hornet -- dropped to second place this year.
3. Piers Morgan: The host of Piers Morgan Tonight, nabbed the distinction of being the nation's most dangerous male -- and only one of two men to make the listing at all.
4. Jessica Biel: In the spotlight partly due to her on-again-off-again relationship with Justin Timberlake, is fourth most dangerous.
5. Katherine Heigl: Made the list for the first time this year, possibly thanks to her rising stardom with appearances in Killers and Life as We Know It.
6. Mila Kunis: Also new to the most dangerous list, Kunis' danger ranking has risen with her move from That 70s Show to feature films, such as Black Swan and Friends with Benefits.
7. Anna Paquin: Tied for 10th with Klum last year, Paquin -- star of True Blood -- moves to 7th in the most dangerous ranking.
8. Adriana Lima: Searching for the Brazilian Victoria's Secret model actually became a little safer this year, according to McAfee. Last year, Lima ranked sixth on the dangerous celebrities list.
9. Scarlett Johansson: Named "Babe of the Year" by GQ in 2010, Johansson is becoming an increasingly dangerous search.
10. Emma Stone, Brad Pitt and Rachel McAdams: Pitt, a mainstay on the most dangerous list, shares his #10 ranking with newcomers Emma Stone (Easy A, The Help and Crazy Stupid Love) and McAdams (Midnight in Paris and Morning Glory).
It's worth mentioning that the days when computer viruses were easy to spot are long gone. It used to be that most viruses were aimed at delivering advertising, which made them obvious, says Hiep Dang, director of research and operations for McAfee labs. If your system was infected, it would flash pop-up ads with increasing frequency.
Now malware is aimed at stealing your banking and credit card information to resell or use, he says. As a result, today's cyber scammers aim to be completely covert. If they leave any traces, you're likely to spot them before they can record the keystrokes it takes to break into your bank account.
Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, says that pretty much everyone needs to have some sort of security software on their computer. Indeed, the San Francisco-based consumer group recommends installing a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spam software. Why? Even casual use of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can expose your system to viruses and invasions of privacy, McEldowney says.
Ironically, the anti-virus makers at McAfee are somewhat less aggressive about what you might need. Dang says you should think about computer security much like you think about security for your house. If you reside in a safe neighborhood and have little of value in your home, you might do the minimum -- like flip the lock on your door at night. But if you live in a bad neighborhood -- or have a lot of valuable stuff -- you'd likely have several layers of security at your home -- a lock, a dead bolt, a fence, a dog and maybe even a monitored security system.
Likewise, if you use your computer solely for fun and store little of value in it, you might be able to get by with free security software that you can download from the Internet. But if you do your banking and investing online, are an active user of social networks (a popular way to spread virus software), or store lots of important information in your system, you probably want to buy comprehensive security software which will cost between $30 and $80, depending on the manufacturer and how comprehensive the protection.
But McEldowney says the problem for most consumers is that they can stray into "dangerous neighborhoods" without realizing it. Consider any link -- even those sent by a friend via email or Facebook -- to be suspicious, he says. Before clicking, email that friend independently asking whether they really sent it and what it is. All too often, your system gets compromised because a friend's system gets compromised, allowing the crooks to send blanket mail links to malicious sites to everyone in your/their address book.
Other simple steps, such as making sure you set hard-to-guess passwords, are also important. (Experts maintain that even in this era of regular security breaches, many consumers make cyber break-ins a breeze by having passwords like "password" or "1234567.") If your computer security software warns you about a site, don't override the good advice and visit it anyway, he adds.
If you discover that someone is sending spam from your Facebook, Twitter or email account, it's very likely you have contracted a computer virus. Run the diagnostic tool on your software and take the steps necessary to erase it. Also warn your friends.
McAfee offers free safe-surfing advice on its Facebook page. You can also download a complimentary version of its SiteAdvisor software at SiteAdvisor.com.
More on CBS MoneyWatch
Mystery Shopper Scam Alert
Facebook: 5 people never to friend from work
Facebook: Does That Friend Want to Rob You?
