MS Dhoni is riskiest celebrity to search online

Other Indian celebrities in the list, whose names are used to lure unsuspecting fans to such websites, include actors Radhika Apte and Shraddha Kapoor, sportsperson P V Sindhu and also former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, the list prepared by McAfee said.

An online search for cricketer M S Dhoni has the highest possibility of taking you to malicious websites, a cybersecurity company’s study said on Tuesday.

Other Indian celebrities in the list, whose names are used to lure unsuspecting fans to such websites, include actors Radhika Apte and Shraddha Kapoor, sportsperson P V Sindhu and also former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, the list prepared by McAfee said. 

Netizens often look for free and pirated content such as major sports events, movies, TV shows, and images of their favourite superstars. Unfortunately, they may not be fully aware of the risks that malicious websites providing such content can pose in exchange for this access, Venkat Krishnapur, McAfee’s managing director for India, said. 

Krishnapur added that the ease of access through multiple devices has also made it easy for the users to go on various websites to look for content they want. 

Dhoni and Tendulkar occupy the top honours in the Dangerous Celebrity list and the company attributed this to cricketers being larger than life personalities whose names resonate with lifestyle and entertainment audiences.

Adult movie star turned Bollywood actor Sunny Leone is fourth on the list, behind reality show winning TV actor Gautam Gulati, the survey said.

In what should cause concern, it said as the young, digital native population continues to spend more time online due to cheaper data and smart devices, they will continue to remain soft targets for cybercriminals who thrive on such user behaviour.

It has advised users to be careful on what they click, wait for the official release of content on safe websites rather than opting for third party ones, refrain from using  illegal streaming sites, and use widely available security products to save themselves.