Beware, Superman is toxic

Superman is a huge online threat. That's what McAfee says in a blog post. The ubiquity of superheroes outside of the comic books means that hackers and scammers can use them for cybercrime, the company said.

The company has released survey results for the Most Toxic Superheroes using McAfee SiteAdvisor site ratings, and the Man of Steel topped the list. The study determined that searching 'Superman', 'Superman and free torrent download', 'Superman and watch', 'Superman and free app', and 'Superman and online', yields a 16.5% chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.

Other superheroes also yield high chances of falling victim to malware, including Thor, WonderWoman, Azuaman, and Wolverine. 

McAfee recommends the following to stay safe: 

Be suspicious: If a search turns up a link to free content or too-good-to-be-true offers, be wary

Double-check the web address: Look for misspellings or other clues that the site you are going to may not be safe (for more on this, read the McAfee blog on typosquatting)

Search safely: Use a web safety advisor, such as McAfee SiteAdvisor that displays a red, yellow, or green ratings in search results, alerting you to potential risky sites before you click on them

Protect yourself: Use comprehensive security software on all your devices, like McAfee LiveSafe service, to protect yourself against the latest threats