After multiple reports of extortion through social media, here’s how to keep your data safe

Collier County deputies say they have not identified any new victims and no one has come forward since the news broke that a man hacked countless Snapchat accounts, downloaded nude pictures, then blackmailed teenagers.

Friday, we discovered why some kids are more vulnerable than others.

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter… Millions of accounts and endless ways to be hacked.

Luis Vicente, district manager of uBreakiFix technology repair shop says,”All those applications – you’re going to have to risk of getting exposure.”

Vicente is a father of two kids which spend a lot of time on their phones, and he’s learned two things:

1. Their devices must be secured with strong passwords.
2. “They know more than you and me because they’re on their phone 24 hours. They do everything on the phone.”

But Vicente says what kids don’t know is how to be smart with their device. In this age, access to the internet is virtually everywhere. Hackers will try to get to the content on anyone’s phone.

“It’s really dangerous when you use public Wi-Fi,” Vicente  warns. “Anyone can be in the parking lot with a computer and an antenna, and that’s usually how they get you, they get into your Wi-Fi from the business or from wherever and he can pull all that information.”

Words of advice:

1. Change your passwords every few months.
2. Don’t use the same password for different accounts. Use a different one for each.
3. Take a close look at the privacy settings of all your accounts.
4. Keep apps and software up-to-date with latest updates.
5. Turn on Two-Step verification.