Watch CBS News

Emma Watson named most "dangerous" celebrity by McAfee

Actress Emma Watson attends the Premiere Of Summit Entertainment's "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" at the Arclight Cinerama Dome on Sept. 10, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

(CBS News) Emma Watson was named McAfee's 2012 most dangerous celebrity to search for online, replacing Heidi Klum, who topped the list last year.

According to McAfee, cybercriminals follow the latest trends, often using the names of popular celebrities to lure people to sites that are designed to steal passwords and personal information.

Pictures: Top 10 Most Dangerous Celebs To Search Online

The technology security company found that fans searching for Emma Watson pictures and downloads had a 12.6 percent chance of landing on a website that poses online threats, such as stealing personal information or downloading viruses.

"In today's celebrity culture, consumers expect to be able to go online to catch up with the latest photos, videos, tweets, and stories about their favorite celebrities. Due to the richness of the data and the high interaction, often times consumers forget the risks that they are taking by clicking on the links," said Paula Greve, director of web security research at McAfee, in a statement.

The study found that female celebrities are more dangerous than men. Jessica Biel and Eva Mendes follow right behind Watson coming in second and third. Jimmy Kimmel was the only male to make the top 20 list this year.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.