GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Another alleged invasion of privacy. This time targeting Hollywood celebrities.
Several of Tinseltown's leading ladies, including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence continue to respond after nude pictures leaked online.
"What iCloud has done is make it more convenient. By making it more convenient though, they've made it a little bit more open to the public," said Aaron Vanderwall.
It's a feature many of us take for granted; downloading a file on one device, and instantly syncing to other devices on your network using Apple's iCloud.
Tech expert Aaron Vanderwall with Imperial Computer Solutions said that with online storage more readily available than ever, it's important to go back and delete files or pictures from old devices that you no longer need.
"They had an old phone. They get rid of that phone. They upgrade that phone. Unless you go into your iCloud account and delete that phone from your account, it's going to stay there and that's going to be available," said Vanderwall.
The FBI is investigating how nude pictures of several female Hollywood celebrities were leaked online over the weekend. Actress Jennifer Lawrence has already threatened to sue any website that posts the pictures that she claims were stolen by hackers.
Vanderwall said that while pictures of 'average Joe's' aren't a top priority for hackers, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your private photos stay just that, private.
"It's important to change that password every so often. Every three months, six months, just change it up. That way you are not using the same thing all the time," said Vanderwall.
Vanderwall said to avoid obvious passwords, like your wife's name or the street you live on.
Vanderwall also said to add your mobile device to any password accounts, so you can be instantly notified if someone is trying to compromise your account.
"If you are going to change your password or it's being accessed from a device that you haven't registered on the network, it's going to send a text to your phone," said Vanderwall.
Vanderwall said that the biggest thing to remember is that files don't delete from your computer's hard drive as easy as you think. Vanderwall recommends the use of special software, so the pictures you don't want, don't come back to haunt you in the future.
Apple is also investigating to see if and where hackers were able to access celebrity iCloud accounts.
Stealing files online is a serious crime that can carry a stiff penalty. Two years ago, a man was sentenced to a decade in prison after hacking into the accounts of Scarlet Johansson and Mila Kunis, and releasing private photos of them.
