The net is dark and full of terrors, especially for fans of HBO’s popular show Game of Thrones®. As followers of the series gear up for the premiere of the eighth and final season on April 14th, fans may have more than just White Walkers to worry about. According to McAfee’s study on the Most Dangerous Celebrities, it turns out that search results for Emilia Clarke are among those most likely to be infected with malware.
In fact, the actress who portrays Daenerys Targaryen in the TV drama came in at #17 of our 2018 Most Dangerous Celebrities study. Cybercriminals use the allure of celebrities – such as Clarke – to trick unsuspecting users into visiting malicious websites. These sites can be used to install malware on a victim’s device or steal their personal information or passwords. With the premiere of the new season right around the corner, it’s likely that cybercrooks will take advantage of the hype around the show to lure supporters into their trap.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways fans can keep up with the show and characters without putting their online safety at risk. Follow these tips to pledge your allegiance to your cybersafety:
- Refrain from using illegal streaming sites. When it comes to dangerous online behavior, using illegal streaming sites is the equivalent of spreading the Mad King’s wildfire to your device. Many illegal streaming sites are riddled with malware or adware disguised as pirated video files. Do your device a favor and stream the show from a reputable source.
- Be careful what you click. Don’t bend the knee to hackers who tempt users to click on their malicious sites. Users looking for information on the new season should be careful and trust only reliable sources. The safest option is to wait for the official release instead of visiting a potentially malware-ridden third-party website.
- Keep your device software updated. Install new system and application updates on your devices as soon as they’re available. These updates often include security fixes that can help protect your laptop or computer from an army of undead software bugs.
- Protect your online realm with a cybersecurity solution. Send your regards to malicious actors with a comprehensive security solution like McAfee Total Protection. This can help protect you from malware, phishing attacks, and other threats. It also includes McAfee WebAdvisor, which helps alert users of malicious websites.
We wish you good fortune in the browsing to come. To stay updated on all of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
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