Don't mess with Brad Pitt in cyberspace

U.S. actor Brad Pitt signs autograph before a screening in Venice August 27, 2008. Pitt stars in Ethan and Joel Coen's movie "Burn After Reading" which is opening this year's Venice Film Festival.

Sept. 17 -- Dabble with Brad Pitt in cyberspace if you dare - the Hollywood hearthrob has overtaken Paris Hilton as the most dangerous celebrity to search for on the Internet.

That's according to the second annual study by Internet security company McAfee.

The company found web users searching for "Brad Pitt," "Brad Pitt downloads," and Brad Pitt wallpaper, screen savers and pictures had an 18 percent chance of having their computer infected with online threats, such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware, viruses and other malware.

A spokesman for McAfee said in a statement that cybercriminals were using A-list names and images, like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, to lure people surfing for the latest gossip, screen savers and ringtones to "fake" websites.

Pitt and Justin Timberlake were found to be the most dangerous men to seek on the internet, while Beyonce and Heidi Montag from The Hills topped the list for women.

Paris Hilton, who topped 2007's list of the most dangerous celebrity searches, was missing from this year's list as was pop star Britney Spears who came fourth last year.

(Agencies)