Cloud services are beneficial for both security and storage. Got infected with Ransomware? It won’t be a problem if your files are backed up to the cloud. Run out of storage? Cloud services have your back.
So, there is no doubt that Dropbox and other cloud services can be handy. However, having our essential files uploaded to a server/the internet is a bit dangerous as other people outside of our group could get their hands on them.
With that being said, how secure is Dropbox, and what are some alternatives to it?
What is Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud service. It provides external storage to either an individual or a group of people, and it features both paid and free options.
This allows us to share our files/documents with various devices and people at once with relative ease.
Other than that, as mentioned in the introduction, Dropbox is a good backup option in case we get infected with malware or if our main drive gets damaged.
Why Question the Security of Dropbox and Other Cloud Services?
Cybercriminals and people with malicious intentions, in general, have found various means to get into cloud accounts.
If you don’t believe me, check out what people comedically named as “The Fappening.” The same thing could happen to us.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be about nude pictures. It could also be essential business documents, family pictures of a lifetime, and other stuff that people can use against us for blackmailing.
How Secure is Dropbox
Taken straight out of Dropbox’s website, Dropbox features:
Encryption
Privacy protection
Account protection
Encryption
Stored data is encrypted with 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). Processing data are also encrypted block by block.
Encryption is a method of encoding plaintext. Any encrypted data will be useless unless the decryption key is used to decrypt them.
The only way to open Dropbox encrypted files is to either decrypt them on your own by using decryption programs, or by compromising the account so that you will get the decrypted version of the data.
Privacy and Account Protection
Privacy and account protection kind off go hand to hand. Dropbox promises to keep our information safe and only collect it themselves for improvement reasons.
However, if you can’t keep your login information safe, then you can’t blame Dropbox for it.
Extra Security Measures to Take
Encryption is usually most effective in protecting data. But, everything will be almost if someone manages to figure out your password.
Here are a couple of extra security tips to enhance your Dropbox security:
Use Security Programs
Use a Single Strong Password
Use Security Programs
Cybercriminals will often steal login information by using spyware. Things like keyloggers can record all of our login information, messages, and more.
You can prevent that from happening by using a security program such as MalwareFox
Use a Single Strong Password
Passwords can be cracked by using brute force attacks. The longer the password, the harder that it is to brute force it.
An ideal password contains a combination of numbers, letters, symbols, and at least one capital letter.
Other than that, don’t use the same password across different accounts. Because if someone cracks one of your accounts, then he automatically gets access to all of your accounts.
Conclusion
You can also use PARAGON Backup & Recovery to create full volume backup or backup of selected files and folders. This efficient tool creates an identical clone of the entire hard drive or any hard drive volume.
With secure encryption and standard privacy policy, Dropbox is as safe as a cloud service can be and how safe you make it.
Taking the steps that we mentioned above should make your Dropbox account as safe as possible.
Dropbox Alternatives
In case you don’t trust Dropbox or don’t feel comfortable with it, here are some alternatives to it:
iCloud does its job more than well. However, if you’re not a fan of Apple devices, then you better stay away from it.
That’s because iCloud is not available for Android or Windows smartphones, which can be a pain for a lot of people. You need to own a complete set of Apple devices to use it efficiently.
It offers 5 gigabytes of storage for free. Anything more than that requires a monthly subscription.
Onedrive comes preinstalled as a part of the Windows 10 OS, which makes it very user-friendly and easy to use. It’s also available for Android and iOS devices.
It should be automatically available when you log in to your Windows 10 device with an MS account.
Five gigabytes of storage are offered upon registration. You can buy more data or get a Microsoft Office 365 plan if you need more.
