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Online Pitt-Falls

Reports warns that Brad Pitt is the Internet's most dangerous celebrity

A report commissioned by McAfee has shown that Brad Pitt has overtaken Paris Hilton as the Internet’s most dangerous celebrity. 20% of websites containing information about the Hollywood A-list actor leave traces of damaging or potentially dangerous software on your computer. Brad Pitt wallpapers, screen savers and pictures all abound on line, but what many people do not know if that a significant proportion of them carry dangerous softwares such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware, viruses and other breeds of malware.

Here is a complete list of McAfee’s most dangerous celebrities online:

• Brad Pitt
• Beyonce
• Justin Timberlake
• Heidi Montag
• Mariah Carey
• Jessica Alba
• Lindsay Lohan
• Cameron Diaz
• George Clooney
• Angelina Jolie

Why do I need antivirus?

With the digital revolution comes a new, electronic risk

Nowadays most families and businesses in the UK are connected to the Internet. In real terms, the World Wide Web is a relatively new resource which is reinventing itself year after year - it has connected us in a way that makes us closer to each other than ever before in human history. The US, Japan, Australia and Argentina are a simple click away.

Previously PCs were only connected sporadically, by floppy disks and data was usually not shared. Now each time you computer is switched on it can connected immediately to a number of different sources, sometimes without you knowing at all.

This is why virus protection is not just important, but essential. Viruses can enter your computer through email attachments, whilst you are online or whilst you are downloading. They can spread quickly within minutes, damaging either your data or perhaps even the hardware of your computer itself. Most people in the world will know of someone who had lost an entire computer to a vicious virus.

The first acknowledged computer virus was created 25 years ago - and now they have lives of their own. After being released into the cyber world hackers or malicious coders have no control over what happens next.

Not all viruses cause serious damage. Some will simply slow the running speed of your computer, or make it quit various applications constantly and without prior warning. This makes some of them more like an annoyance than anything else. It is always useful to remember that the latest growing problem is spyware - which can identify and distribute your personal information, leading to fraud and identity theft amongst other things.

McAfee are one of the world's leading developers in the field of antivirus software. Programmes such as Virus Scan, Internet Security and Total Protection work to alleviate the risks posed by the online virus. As previously stated - in the early twenty first century, such protection is not just advisable, but a necessity.