Searching Andy Murray’s name on internet ‘dangerous’, warn web security experts

ANDY Murray is the most dangerous British sportsman to search for on the internet, web security experts have revealed.

The tennis ace’s increasing popularity and success have made his millions of fans a target for online fraudsters.

An investigation by web security company McAfee found that Olympic champion Murray was the riskiest search online of all British athletes.

Fans searching for “Andy Murray videos”, “Andy Murray downloads” or “Andy Murray screensavers” are at risk of running into sites designed to steal personal information. Downloading files, including photos, videos or screensavers, also potentially exposes consumers to viruses and malware.

Cyber-criminals often use the names of famous people to lure people to sites that are actually full of malicious software designed to compromise personal details and disrupt devices.

The McAfee inquiry found that searching for the latest Andy Murray content yields more likelihood of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses than searching for any other British athlete.

Football star Ryan Giggs was found to be the second most dangerous British athlete in cyberspace, with gymnast Louis Smith third, diver Tom Daley fourth and cyclist Mark Cavendish wrapping up the top five.

Raj Samani, chief technology officer at McAfee, said: “Cyber-crooks keep their finger on the pulse and adapt their scams to appeal to whatever we’re most likely to be searching for.

“Andy Murray has seen regular press attention in his battle to become a serious contender in his sport, so it’s no surprise the bad guys have taken advantage of his popularity to target consumers. To keep your valuable data and devices safe over this summer of sports, surf securely by ensuring the sites you visit have been verified as safe.”