In 2010, Cameron Diaz was the ‘riskiest’ celebrity on the Internet. Search for a photo or the latest gossip of Cameron Diaz on the Net and the probability was high of the PC getting infected with a payload of malware fans.

McAfee which had released the list of celebrities that cybercriminals used to trick people into hitting malicious websites. Diaz topped the 2010 list, edging out 2009’s riskiest celebrity Jessica Biel to the number 3 spot. Actress Julia Roberts came in second.

Being No. 1 in this case means that anyone searching for Diaz downloads and photos has a 10 per cent chance of stumbling onto a web site that’s tested positive for viruses, spyware, adware, and spam. Combining the terms “Cameron Diaz” and “screensavers” yielded search results in which 19 per cent of the sites discovered were brimming with malware.

McAfee uses its SiteAdvisor ratings to compile which sites are riskiest when looking for celebrities. The list typically looks at actors, athletes, musicians, politicians, and other members of the rich and famous. Movie stars and models were at the top on the risky scale, while US President Barack Obama and Republican Senator Sarah Palin were among the safest to search for, coming in at No. 49 and No. 50, respectively.