Why Alexis Bledel is 2019's 'Most Dangerous Celebrity on the Internet'
For the thirteenth year in a row, cyber security firm McAfee has revealed their top ten list of the internet's 'most dangerous celebrities' in 2019. 'Gilmore Girls' star Alexis Bledel took the top spot, with searches for her name being more likely to land users on websites that carry viruses or malware. Gary Davis, Chief Consumer Security Evangelist at McAfee spoke to Fox News about ways to prevent users from falling victim to these searches.
Former "Gilmore Girls" and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" actress Alexis Bledel may seem sweet in her film and TV roles, but she is officially the most dangerous celebrity, according to a cybersecurity firm.
McAfee on Monday crowned Bledel the most dangerous celebrity on the internet in 2019. No other celebrity was more likely to land users on websites that carry viruses or malware. But she isn't alone in being a higher risk than most for fans to follow.
Trailing Bledel at No. 2 is talk show host James Corden, followed by "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner, actress Anna Kendrick, movie star Lupita Nyong'o, talk show star Jimmy Fallon, martial arts master Jackie Chan, the rappers Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj and finally Marvel actress Tessa Thompson at No. 10.
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The survey is meant to highlight the danger of clicking on suspicious links. Bad actors will attach malware and malicious links to famous names, hoping fans searching for videos on the internet will fall victim. McAfee urges internet users to consider risks associated with searching for pirated content and always apply updated security fixes.
Actress Sophie Turner was named one of the most dangerous celebrities to follow on social media. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
"Consumers may not be fully aware that the searches they conduct pose risk, nor may they understand the detrimental effects that can occur when personal information is compromised in exchange for access to their favorite celebrities, movies, TV shows or music," Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee, said in a statement.
Davis explained that Bledel and Turner likely landed on the list this year due to their respective roles in the popular shows "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu and "Game of Thrones" on HBO, both subscriber-based services.
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Talk show hosts Corden and Fallon probably landed on the list due to viral videos of their shows, while interest in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" and her starring role in "Us" likely put Nyong'o so high. Lil Wayne's summer tour with Blink-182 may have prompted fans to search for illegal downloads.
Actress Ruby Rose was named the most dangerous celebrity to follow on social media in 2018. (Reuters)
Chan's name on the list may be a surprise since he has kept a relatively low profile of late, but Davis explained that rumors circulated this year that the actor might return to the big screen in "Rush Hour 4" and "The Karate Kid 2." His team denied the gossip, but cybercriminals jumped in, hoping to "target fans who were overcome by nostalgia and less cautious about their personal security."
Indeed the most dangerous celebrities tend to change with the times as popularity fluctuates.
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Bledel takes over top spot from Ruby Rose, who led last year's list largely because of interest in her playing Batwoman. This year's list also indicates interest in reality stars may have waned. Kristin Cavallari and Kourtney Kardashian, who both found themselves in last year's top 10 list, dropped to No. 214 and No. 222, respectively.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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