Jessica Biel is the most “dangerous celebrity” on the internet. According to security technology company McAfee, online searches for the actress – who is dating Justin Timberlake – are more likely to spread computer viruses than any other star.

The company – who last year found Brad Pitt to be the most “dangerous” online celebrity – said there was a one-in-five chance that looking for information, wallpapers, images and videos of the Easy Virtue star would lead users to a website designed to cause damage.

Pop star Beyonce Knowles, Marley and Me star Jennifer Aniston, American football player Tom Brady – who is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen – and singer-and-actress Jessica Simpson also pose a high risk to web users.

Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee's product development, said: "Cybercriminals are star watchers, too. They latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise.

"Searching for the latest celebrity news and downloads can cause serious damage to one's personal computer.

"Every day, cybercriminals use celebrities' names and images, like Rihanna, to lure surfers searching for the latest stories, screensavers and ringtones to sites offering free downloads laden with malware."