Internet security firm McAfee Inc.searched for more than 2,600 popular keywords on the most accepted searchengines including Google and Yahoo! Buzz and found that certain keywords orsearch terms were riskier than others. McAfee said some search categories areused to lure unsuspecting consumers to their websites. Hackers andcybercriminals are often able to persuade searchers to download files carryingmalicious software that can cause consumers to disclose their personal andfinancial data.

According to McAfee Inc.,some of the riskiest searches on the Internet today are associated with eitherwith finding items for free, such as music or screensavers , or looking forwork that can be done from home.

Hackers are most successful whenthey can attract a large number of victims. One way to target big crowds onlineis to track current events-everything from celebrity meltdowns and naturaldisasters to holidays and popular music. One key tool cybercriminals use to snarevictims is to get them to download a computer file or program that comes with amalicious payload.

Searching for free music downloadsonline is risky too. On an average, 20.7 percent of results were risky(compared to just 1.7 percent of all search terms) and on one results page outof the 25 search engine pages rated, McAfee found a whopping 42.9 percent ofresults risky. As consumers continue to convert their music libraries todigital formats like MP3 files, they also struggle with the cost of buyingmusic they may already own in cassette, LP record, or other formats.

Caught between those two needs, many consumers have heard thatthe web can be a source for free music. If the consumer is already looking formusic, then they already have the mindset of being willing to downloadsomething-and that makes the malware authors' work easier.
Work from home searches can be as much as four times more risky than theaverage for all popular terms. And on an average, these searches are 50 percentmore risky than other popular terms.

The Indian result of the study shows that searching for Katrina Kaif and ShahidKapur can be dangerous to your computer! Searching for the famous actress canput you to a 26.6 percent risk of affecting your computer while Shahid Kapurmakes you vulnerable to a 22.2 percent risk.