Beware the Will & Kate wedding spam

A new study from Norton has shown that people are flocking online to follow news of the upcoming royal wedding.

While the survey results only include figures for Australia, you only have to look at the amount of coverage New Zealand’s TV, radio and newspapers are giving the event.

87% of Australians surveyed said they are likely to follow the British royal wedding, with 18% of those already keeping up with the royal wedding news at least every few days.

Norton is asking those interested in following the online wedding to be cautious as the event has attracted the attention of cybercriminals.

"As of March, security researchers at Norton have already begun tracking malicious online activity such as spam designed to steal personal information and links to harmful sites hidden in search engine results,” says a report.

Norton says that 98% of Australians are unclear on what search poisoning is, and nearly one in 10 respondents are without security software.

Here are Norton’s tips to avoid the cybercriminals:

Think before you clickBeware of emails or links that promise "leaked” footage, offer "scandalous” pictures, or purport to have "secret” information. Cybercriminals take advantage of sensational and shocking headlines to get you to click on links that could infect your computer.

Go with what you knowWhile any site could potentially be risky, it’s best to avoid clicking on sites you’ve never heard of that show up in your search results. Stick to the official royal wedding website or go directly to reputable news sites to get the latest news and videos of the wedding

Protect your computerUse trusted security software on your computer to block threats and make sure you’re keeping it up-to-date.