Chicago is alive with preparations for its big St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations this weekend. Tomorrow morning, the day before St. Patrick’s Day, the Chicago River downtown is dyed green (now with non-toxic dye), followed by the parade, with revelry planned on both days throughout the city – everywhere from pubs and restaurants to cultural centers and churches.
I plan on partaking in the revelry with my fellow Chicagoans, but I definitely won’t be alone. According to a poll conducted this week by by Cint USA and Trend Micro, almost 60% of respondents plan on participating in St. Patrick’s Day festivities this weekend, with about a quarter headed to a parade or pub. Five percent even admitted to planning on calling in sick on Monday to recuperate from all the “fun.”
Not surprisingly, 3 in 4 respondents would most likely share pictures and post of their rounds of green beer and St. Patty’s Day celebrations on Facebook. Call me a cynic, but this could be a career-limiting move. Considering that one third of Facebook users don’t use privacy settings on their profiles*, there is a very high probability any photos of your drunken merriment could get back to your employer by Monday, which won’t help support your case that you have the “flu” and are out sick.
A “work appropriate” photo of the author celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at the Chicago River, which is dyed green each year to commemorate the holiday in downtown Chicago.
Never fear – Trend Micro is here! Trend Micro™ Privacy Scanner for Facebook – a.k.a. the “call-in-sick” enablement tool – is a great way for you to measure who can see what’s on your Facebook profile, so you can make sure your boss and tattletale co-workers don’t know what you’re up to in your private time.
Simply download our free app for your Android smartphone or tablet, click a button and see the results. (Alternatively, non-Android, PC users can leverage the Privacy Scanner for Facebook built into Trend Micro™ Titanium™ Security to achieve the same results).
But our survey respondents were most concerned about losing their device to thieves, not necessarily preventing a bad reputation at work. Whether the device is stolen by leprechauns or drunken fools this weekend, Trend Micro can bring those worry-warts “the luck of the Irish” here as well. Our Trend Micro Mobile Security app for Android includes the Privacy Scanner for Facebook feature AND Lost Device Protection, which will help you find a lost phone, or lock it and wipe all private info on it if it’s been stolen by little green men.
Let’s be honest, though. One third of you are more likely to drop your phone on the ground or in the toilet and break it rather than have it stolen, especially after a couple of green beers.
In what situation has the luck of the Irish failed you and your mobile device?
Therefore, in preparation for the St. Patrick’s Day revelry:
- Block any inappropriate Facebook posts from your boss and co-workers (or the general public) using the Trend Micro Privacy Scanner for Facebook .
- Set up the Lost Device Protection feature within Trend Micro™ Mobile Security in case you break or lose your mobile device.
- Be safe, have fun and happy posting!
And to my boss, if you’re reading this, I have the flu.
Cint USA and Trend Micro Survey – Online poll questions were conducted on March 13th and March 14th, 2013.A total of 1,043 respondents completed the poll questions. Sample is representative of the US Census on age, gender and region.
*Consumer Reports Annual Survey
I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.
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