One of the most basic things you need to consider when doing business online is that the World Wide Web is an open arena with no established security. Once you have learned to appreciate that the inte ... [Read more]
Dropbox users can now take advantage of a secure two-step verification process to protect their accounts from unauthorized access. The process requires a cell phone and should help to prevent identity thieves from accessing sensitive files through the site.Dropbox is a large cloud-based file sharing and storage service.
Recently, the site announced that “a small number” of Dropbox accounts were compromised as identity thieves accessed accounts with user names and passwords stolen through other websites not associated with Dropbox.In a forum post, Dropbox announced that the new features should help to prevent unauthorized account access in the future.“Two-step verification adds an extra layer of protection to your account by requiring an additional security code that is sent to your phone by text message or generated using a mobile authenticator app,” Dropbox’s team wrote. “We’d like to give our loyal forum viewers a chance to try it out first.”
To use the new features, Dropbox users need to download the latest stable build or forum build of the Dropbox software. Two-step verification is supported in stable build 1.4.17 and higher or forum build 1.5.12 or higher.Users can then visit https://www.dropbox.com/try_twofactor. “Two-step verification” is listed at the bottom of the page along with the default “Disabled” setting. By clicking “change,” users can decide whether to receive security codes through text messages or a mobile app.The goal of the verification system is to prevent non-user accounts from receiving access to Dropbox files.
As users store everything from personal photos to critically important business files, security is especially important for the cloud-based company. In the previous security breach, however, hacked accounts were simply used to send out spam emails.Some Dropbox users requested the two-step verification process last year in several forum threads. Although the process is currently optional, Dropbox’s team highly recommends using the feature to protect sensitive data.
