After the recent Dropbox scare, when a programming error left every user of Dropbox compromised, their password-decrypted for four hours, and the recent compromise of financial data of a big firm, Dropbox is not as loved anymore as it once was.
There is also the worry that Dropbox can apparently decrypt your data itself and give it to the government which is not a big deal if you are not storing very sensitive date. But all this is rather a pity because their service otherwise is good, but compromise of security online only means that you ought to take encryption of your files into your own hands. Here’s how to do it.
Just a week after the major security breach,Dropbox trying to get back their users loyality by Introducing two-step verification to make your account more secure but here is a couple of tow other tips to secure your Dropbox files.
The easiest way of course is to encrypt your file as a zip folder before you drop it into dropbox. But if that does not appeal to you, and if you are a Windows user, you can use SecretSync which creates a new folder on your laptop.
All you need to do is drop your files into that folder and they are automatically encrypted – an easy, smart and useful way to quickly encrypt files. The app needs to be installed but you can sync the folder simultaneously with your Dropbox folder so you don’t have to manually shift from one to another.
There is another way if you don’t want to use a cloud based app for encryption. Use TrueCrypt, where you would have to manually encrypt your files and store them individually. Because you cannot encrypt in bulk, this may not be convenient very much, but it will still be the best way to keep safe.
Install TrueCrypt and create a TrueCrypt Volume but when it comes to selecting a location for the folder, choose Dropbox. This will ensure automatic encryption of files that enter Dropbox via TrueCrypt. You will have to select the file from TruCrypt in Dropbox and select Mount option, which will enable you to use that folder as a hard drive. Before you dismount any encyptred volume, make sure to close Dropbox.
Another way of ensuring that everything on your Dropbox folder is encrypted is to put Dropbox itself within TrueCrypt. The trouble with this is, if Dropbox chooses to decrypt you files, it can do so, but it saves your account from being compromised if you lose your laptop or forget your passwords etc.
All you have to do is move the Dropbox folder to the virtual drive you’ve created with TrueCrypt. But while all this is possible and make your information or data safer online, it is worthwhile to remember that you may want to follow this routine even if you are not using Dropbox. Encryption of important files should be done across cloud services – because while Dropbox’s weaknesses are known, others’ may be silent but present.
And if you are thinking of dropping Dropbox altogether – consider again. Many other cloud services work under DropBox. Using programs like TruCrypt, which are suggested by Dropbox itself, can help you at those times when other systems fail you, but remember nothing is foolproof when it comes to internet security.
