Luke Bryan Tops Dubious List of Celebrity Malware Names
Well here’s yet another reason to avoid Luke Bryan’s music at all costs. In the annual cyber security study conducted by Intel to determine the celerity names most commonly linked to sites with malware and other malicious activity, Luke Bryan came in 2nd on the list. Searching “Luke Bryan,” especially in combination with terms such as “free MP4,” “HD downloads,” or “torrent,” yields search results to sites with a 17.64% chance of including malware or other suspicious activity according to the study. The #1 celebrity in the study was EDM DJ Armin van Buuren.
“Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture events including award shows, TV show and movies premieres, album releases, celebrity breakups, and more,” says the study. “They capitalize on this interest by enticing unsuspecting consumers to sites laden with malware, which enables them to steal passwords and personal information.”
Luke Bryan’s current popularity at the moment makes him a prime candidate for malware makers. Music artists are especially enticing for hackers looking to infect users with malware because of their popularity, and the potential for searchers to be willing to download information from sites. Seven of the top 10 celebrities on the list are musical artists. The only other country artist mentioned in the study was Kenny Chesney at #13.
“With today’s busy culture and a desire for real time information, consumers often click on sites that will quickly provide them with news and entertainment, without considering safety and security implications,” said Stacey Conner, online safety expert at Intel Security. “Cybercriminals leverage this need for immediacy by encouraging people to visit unsafe sites that can steal private data … When consumers search for music that is not made available through legitimate channels, they put both their digital lives and devices at risk.”
What’s interesting about the study is that the most popular music stars don’t always equate to the most popular malware carriers. Taylor Swift—arguably the most popular music performer in the world at the moment—isn’t on the list at all. Miley Cyrus doesn’t come in until #19.
Though the study did not conclude specifically why Luke Bryan’s name was used so often to attract web users to malware sites, Saving Country Music will go ahead and assert its opinion that many Luke Bryan fans are numbskull morons who are more likely to fall for an online scam and unsuspectingly download malware. The fact that he also recently released an album may also have something to do with it.
WeirdUncleBob
September 30, 2015 @ 6:15 pm
Click it Again!
the pistolero
September 30, 2015 @ 6:18 pm
Six words: “Luke Bryan new album free download.”
Amos
October 3, 2015 @ 8:48 am
Even if it’s actually his work, it’s still a virus.
Summer Jam
September 30, 2015 @ 6:22 pm
I saw this as a completely pointless article the entire time i was reading it, till i got down to the bottom…..
“Luke Bryan fans are numbskull morons who are more likely to fall for an online scam and unsuspectingly download malware”
…..Dude that was exactly what I was thinking….you hit the nail on the fother muckin head….good point man!!!
Fuzzy TwoShirts
September 30, 2015 @ 6:46 pm
Huh… I thought he was just a virus in the Country Music sense…
Martha
September 30, 2015 @ 6:49 pm
Well done, Fuzzy.
Nadia Lockheart
September 30, 2015 @ 6:49 pm
Well, to be fair Trigger, “Kill The Lights” at least makes for truthful titular advertising as to what mass chaos his music will unleash on home entertainment systems far and wide! 😉
Scotty J
September 30, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
Guess I better be careful with my Betty White searches!
Charlie
October 1, 2015 @ 6:07 am
Dude–just let me know. I can hook you up with all the hard core BW material on the Dark Web!
BlackHawgDown
September 30, 2015 @ 7:24 pm
“Baby you can crash my PC anytime”….. Poor Luke Bryan, having a rough time being a popular figure for malvertising and that “knock, knock, knock” sound his diesel keeps making, he should really go get that checked out.
BEH
September 30, 2015 @ 8:13 pm
I don’t see Linda Lovelace on the list so I’m good
Joco Blake
September 30, 2015 @ 8:34 pm
Now if someone could just come up with some Luke Bryan specific security software all of ours ears would finally be protected.
Nadia Lockheart
October 1, 2015 @ 12:16 am
You mean like the equivalent of “Nickelblock” for Nickelback? 😉
Lunchbox
September 30, 2015 @ 8:35 pm
what number is Shooter Jennings name?
Albert
September 30, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
….”many Luke Bryan fans are numbskull morons who are more likely to fall for an online scam and unsuspectingly download malware. The fact that he also recently released an album may also have something to do with it.”
Trigger…that’s kinda judgmental and mean and cheap .
Yes …..of course its true …but nevertheless its judgmental and mean and cheap . Those folks probably aren’t aware of options and know not the error of their ways . Couldn’t we attach our own SCM malware to ” Luke Bryan” cliks and do them all a favor by directing them towards the light ?
Kristi
October 1, 2015 @ 2:30 am
Good article. Said no Luke Bryan fan ever.
Sincerely,
A numbskull
KC
October 1, 2015 @ 4:38 am
In all honesty with satire aside, this really has little to do with Luke Bryan. If Sturgill Simpson was the top seller in the genre, you could insert his name there. Really a non-issue for me.
John Wayne Twitty
October 1, 2015 @ 5:44 am
Do they even know how to spell Google?
CountryKnight
October 1, 2015 @ 6:05 am
They probably spell Bing as Bang.
Bear
October 1, 2015 @ 9:13 am
Nic eto se that hack “Charmin Armin” on the list. Ugh. Chrmin because you’d wipe your bottom with his cliches techno/rave music.
KC
October 1, 2015 @ 10:32 am
http://www.kentucky.com/2015/10/01/4065631_luke-bryan-concert-at-talon-winery.html?rh=1
Here’s a little more of an issue for me. Lukey Pukey has to cancel a concert because there’s too much mud for his big ole trucky trucks to set up his stage.
Guess rain isn’t such a good thing, is it, now?