How to Secure Your Dropbox Account
Given some potential security issues, it's important to do a few things to protect your files. Here are tips you can apply to keep your Dropbox account secure and safe from cybersecurity threats:
Enable Two-Step Verification. Also known as two-factor authentication, it is a powerful tool to prevent unauthorized access to your account. Dropbox and other popular online services give users the option to further protect the account with mobile phone verification. Thus, when someone tries to access your account, a code will be sent to your smartphone.
To activate it, navigate the Settings menu and enable two-step verification option. You will then need to choose how you want to receive your security codes: via text messages or an authenticator app.
Use Strong Passwords. Do not reuse passwords for multiple accounts. Your password must be unique and strong so that no one can guess it. To create and store your password, you may consider using a password manager like LastPass or 1Password.
Logout From Your Devices. Since Dropbox allows you to access files from any device connected to the Internet, many of us may use the service on multiple devices. Of course, this is one of the main advantages, but it can increase security issues. To prevent this risk, you can delist the devices you’ve used to sign in to Dropbox account from the Security menu.
Verify Web Sessions. You can easily check if your Dropbox account has been compromised. On the Security page, find your current web sessions. From there, you will be able to see if your Dropbox account is currently open in any browsers. This way you can quickly determine if anyone else has used your account.
Review App Permissions. When you use Dropbox with a third-party app, the company shares your personal information with that app. That is, you give permission to access your Dropbox account. To see the list of all apps you've given permission, simply scroll down the Security page. If you haven't used some apps for a while, you can easily delist them and thus reduce the potential vulnerability.
Activate Email Notifications. In addition to 2-step verification, you can set up email notifications. They will be sent to your account whenever there is unusual activity on your account (for example, logging in from new devices or browsers). There is one downside, your inbox can fill up quickly.
Use a VPN. When you sign in to Dropbox over an insecure connection, the service can use your IP address to identify your general location. You can easily get around this with a virtual private network. VPN allows you to surf the Internet while maintaining your privacy. In simple words, a VPN connects your computer or phone through an encrypted virtual tunnel to a remote server through which you access the Internet. It is a great way to stay anonymous while using Dropbox.