Wonder-woman, Wolverine, Iron Man now cyber-baits?

INDIA: Intel Security is releasing its 3rd annual Most Toxic Superheroes list, and says Aquaman is coming in at number 1. The King of Atlantis reclaims the top spot since the company’s inaugural list in 2013.

Intel Security conducted research on the comic universe’s top heroes to learn which searches may be leading consumers to viruses, malware and other inappropriate content that can be considered dangerous, can compromise private information or infect their devices.

As movie studios continue to announce plans to create films and TV series based on comic fans’ favorites – including Aquaman, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist – the study’s results explain why sites that feature these popular superheroes have the potential to be targeted by cybercriminals.

The top 10 superheroes most likely to affect online surfers this year are tagged as Intel Security’s Top 10 Most Toxic Superheroes. Here, Aquaman stood at top slot with 20.00 per cent, followed by Iron Fist with 19.69 per cent, Wolverine with 19.58 per cent, Wonder Woman with 19.38 per cent, Doctor Strange with 19.17 per cent, Daredevil with 18.96 per cent, and rest like The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Catwoman, Green Lantern and Batman came towards the bottom of the list.

These percentages indicate chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses or other malware.

It was added that the list is heavily influenced by recent TV/movie announcements like ‘Aquaman’ will receive his own movie in 2018, and will be featured in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice in March 2016' or Disney is set to release Doctor Strange in November 2016 or Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, will be released in May 2016. Last year, Superman claimed the top spot but failed to land into this year’s top 10

Some tips to stay protected, that Intel Security shares, are as follows:

· Be suspicious: Be wary of searches that turns up a link to free content or too-good-to-be-true offers

· Be cautious: Cybercriminals set up malicious, fake sites that will include inappropriate content and malware particularly for hot topics

· Read before you click: Look for misspellings or other clues that the link may direct you to a phony website or contain viruses that will corrupt your device

· Protect yourself: Use comprehensive security that is up to date with a safe search tool to identify risky websites in search engine results