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Tuesday, August 25, 2009 7:30 AM/EST

McAfee Says Beware of Tom Brady, Jessica Biel

The world just can’t get enough of Tom Brady. The three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback of the New England Patriots is a fan favorite for his athletic prowess. His image adorns magazine ads for designer clothing and expensive watches. And he’s a favorite among paparazzi combing the streets of New York where he lives with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Brady’s profile is so high that he’s also a favorite among the hacker community. Brady, who is returning to the gridiron a year after a season-ending injury, is the only athlete to rank on McAfee’s “Most Dangerous Celebrities in Cyberspace” list.

Hackers have for years used fan fascination with celebrities such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Anna Kornikova to spread viruses, worms and Trojans. Often times, the promise of star’s nude photos and leaked sex videos prove too tempting for some users to resist. But the celebrities on the McAfee list are dangerous because it’s their sheer popularity and buzz that draws users to seek out any news or gossip about them. That means hackers can create celebrity fandom sites that look legitimate but are dark honeypots for spreading malware.

Topping the list is Hollywood hottie Jessica Biel, music star Beyonce and everyone’s girl next door Jennifer Aniston. Brady ranked fourth on the list, beating out Jessica Simpson, his wife, Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie, and the only other man on the list, Brad Pitt.

It’s trivial to say beware of surfing for celebrity gossip. Just don’t be surprised when you get hit with a virus after looking at the latest pictures of Bradgeliana’s kids.

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Comments (1)

Karen :

Who are these people who are so tempted by celebrity pictures and gossip to search for it or open the junk mail that pops into their inboxes? Are these the same people who send in $500 to a stranger in the hopes that they are going to get $500,0000 from a lost relative who died because they got an e-mail that told them to do so.

Sad thing is, they will never know about this McAfee warning, as these type of people often do not read the real news. Millions are people are taken in by the same scams and will become victims of the same virus because of lack of education in search of gossip or get rich quick scams.

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