#Socialmediaruinedmylife: Live to (not) regret using social media

Trend Micro helps solve the mystery of social network privacy settings

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Sep 03, 2013, 08:10 ET

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Those who have ruined their reputations and damaged their careers after posting inappropriate material on social networks include politicians, movie and sports stars as well as teachers, police officers and even fast food restaurant employees. The problem of exposing too much information could continue to plague social media users, a possibility supported in the August 2013 poll by Cint USA and the global security software developer Trend Micro. According to the poll, 24 percent of the respondents said they have posted something they later regretted or removed, and 36 percent said they have seen something they regard as inappropriate on Facebook, Twitter or Google +.

While it may be too late for some, Trend Micro, a global leader in security software, has solved the riddle of social network privacy settings for Facebook, Twitter and Google+, which can help prevent life-ruining posts from ever happening in the first place.

"Privacy is a huge concern, and it all starts with making sure that we don't have 'I wish I hadn't done that' regretful moments," says Akihiko Omikawa, Executive Vice President, Global Consumer Business at Trend Micro. "Guarding against identity theft, protecting against viruses and keeping families safe online come standard in Trend Micro security solutions. But if you don't understand how to manage your social network privacy settings, no amount of security software will keep your online reputation protected. The first line of defense in enjoying your digital life safely is to get a handle on social media privacy. Trend Micro gives social media users a simple way to avoid harming themselves or ruining their reputations by sharing too much information with unintended audiences."

Trend Micro has expanded its unique social network privacy technology, which identifies privacy settings that may leave personal or inappropriate information publicly available or vulnerable to identity theft. Trend Micro also gives users control over which apps can access biographical data, and who can tag and see photos. These features are critical today, considering only 24 percent of Facebook users change their privacy settings each month or more often, according to the same survey of social media users. The same poll showed that 27 percent of Twitter users and 30 percent of Google+ users have never checked their privacy settings and 34 percent of Twitter users and 39 percent of Google + users have never updated their privacy settings. Trend Micro's robust personal privacy management tool now dramatically simplifies privacy settings on Twitter and Google+, and Facebook – for both Mac and PC. Facebook settings can also now be managed on-the-go via an Android app.

The social media privacy management tool is featured in today's release of Trend Micro's Titanium™ 2014 family of consumer security products. Titanium Security 2014 is a customizable security solution built on Trend Micro's 25 years of leadership in Internet security.

Titanium Security 2014 solutions provide industry-leading, anti-virus and Web-threat protection that identifies and blocks dangerous links in websites, social networks, emails and instant messaging. It also detects spam emails containing phishing scams that can trick users into revealing private personal information. According to the August 2013 AV Comparatives report, Trend Micro Titanium offers the broadest combination of privacy and Web threat protections for Facebook, Google+, and Twitter across PCs and Macs among 31 security products reviewed (Social Network Protection Review, August 2013, AV Comparatives).

To help fight identity theft, Trend Micro's password management feature in Titanium Security 2014 includes a secure browser to conduct safe online commerce that is specifically designed to support secure online banking. Based on users from the same poll, respondents have an average of 12 accounts requiring passwords, but are using only eight passwords among those dozen accounts. An identify thief can do more damage to a victim that uses the same password in multiple accounts.

Additionally included in Trend Micro's customized solutions are robust parental controls to help families protect children from the dangers inherent to Internet use. Titanium Security 2014 empowers parents to restrict and filter their children's online access, protecting them from inappropriate or harmful websites. In addition, the security solution includes a way to monitor kids' behavior online – to help parents protect their kids from cyber bullying and encounters with online predators.

For Android smartphone and tablet users, Titanium Security 2014 includes the Facebook privacy management app within the Trend Micro™ Mobile Security. Mobile Security is designed to find a lost or stolen device, identify data-stealing mobile apps, back-up and restore data stored on a device, and remotely lock and wipe out data.

"Life is difficult enough without having to worry whether or not your reputation, your data or your identity is protected," says Omikawa. "Trend Micro tackles this enormous challenge with Titanium Security 2014. This comprehensive solution provides users with all-in-one protection on PCs, Macs and mobiles devices for practically everything you do online, so you can enjoy your digital life safely."

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in security software, strives to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our solutions for consumers, businesses and governments provide layered data security to protect information on mobile devices, endpoints, gateways, servers and the cloud. Trend Micro enables the smart protection of information, with innovative security technology that is simple to deploy and manage, and fits an evolving ecosystem. All of our solutions are powered by cloud-based global threat intelligence, the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure, and are supported by over 1,200 threat experts around the globe. For more information, visit TrendMicro.com.