Jessica Biel tops Hollywood malware list

Jessica Biel is the number-one malware lure

Actress Jessica Biel has been identified as the most dangerous celebrity name on the internet.

Security firm McAfee said in its annual celebrity search report that a query for 'Biel' is more likely to lead a user to a malicious site than any other celebrity search. Biel ousts Brad Pitt from the top spot, who fell to number 10.

McAfee noted that searching for Biel screensavers is especially troublesome, as roughly half contain malicious software.

Second on the list is actress and pop star Beyoncé, who also claimed the number-two spot last year. Actress Jennifer Anniston was third, followed by American football star Tom Brady and singer Jessica Simpson.

The use of celebrities as a lure has become increasingly popular with cyber criminals in recent years. Malicious sites often claim to offer photos or video files of celebrities or popular news topics in an effort to infect users with malware.

"Cyber criminals are star watchers too. They latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise," said McAfee Avert Labs senior vice president Jeff Green.

"Consumers' obsessions with celebrity news and culture is harmless in theory, but one bad download can cause a lot of damage to a computer."