Brampton Pop Star is One of Canada’s Most Dangerous Celebrities to Search for Online

Published September 19, 2017 at 11:03 pm

If you Google celebrities – whether for free music or to find out random facts like if they’re seeing someone or what they wore at an awards show – you do so at your own risk.

If you Google celebrities – whether for free music or to find out random facts like if they’re seeing someone or what they wore at an awards show – you do so at your own risk. Canada’s most dangerous celebrities to search for online have been revealed, and Brampton’s own Alessia Cara has made the list!

It’s not your typical list of celebrities to follow on Instagram or celebrities who are making billions of dollars, but every year, McAfee (an anti-virus software company) releases a list of the most dangerous celebrities to search for online.

We already knew that Alessia Cara has been dominating the pop music scene internationally, and now, the Brampton pop star is officially one of the riskiest celebs you can search for online.

Why is that?

According to McAfee, searching for celebrities online can put you at risk to cybercriminals, who might use celebrity culture to drive unsuspecting users to malicious websites that install malware, steal personal information and can even steal passwords. The research reveals which celebrities generate the riskiest search results that could potentially expose their fans to malicious websites.

Cara is the seventh most dangerous Canadian celeb you can search for online! Topping the list are famous Canadians Shawn Mendes as the most dangerous, with Justin Bieber coming up second.

Here’s the full list: 

As you can see, celebs ranging from Drake to Celine Dion made the list of which celebrities generate the most dangerous results that could expose consumers to malicious websites and malware.

Fun fact: according to McAfee, searching for “Celebrity Name + free MP3” generates the most potentially malicious websites and helped musicians dominate the list. When you search that term, there’s a certain percentage of risk you’re at for landing on a malicious website. 

When you search “Alessia Cara free MP3,” there a 8.06 per cent chance you’ll land on a malicious website!

For Mendes at the top of the list, it’s 14.08 per cent, and runner up Bieber is at 14.05 per cent. Coming in third is Avril Lavigne at 13.27 per cent, followed by Celine Dion at 11.86 per cent, Carly Rae Jepsen at 11.53 per cent, and Drake at 8.75 just before Cara.

“In today’s digital world, we want the latest hit albums, videos, movies and more, immediately available on our devices,” said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee. “Consumers often prioritize their convenience over security by engaging in risky behaviour like clicking on suspicious links that promise the latest content from celebrities. It’s imperative that they slow down and consider the risks associated with searching for downloadable content. Thinking before clicking goes a long way to stay safe online.”

McAfee has also released some tips on searching safely:

  • Be careful what you click – it’s better to wait for an official song release on a platform like Spotify than find the song on a third party site
  • Avoid searching “free MP3” – it returns the highest number of risky websites 
  • Use online security protection – it might help keep you safe by identifying malicious websites and warning you before you click
  • Use cross-device protection – keep all of your electronics protected with safe software, not just your phone or just your laptop

So, when you Google the ever-popular Alessia Cara, search safely, Brampton!

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