Dropbox for Beginners (2015)

Dropbox Security and Recovery System

As we have discussed earlier, Dropbox is more than just a simple file storage and sharing software. If done correctly, you can combine your Dropbox features with several other apps and you can get a lot more functionality. Here in this chapter we will talk about the security that Dropbox provides to its users and about some of its features like recovery system and link sharing feature.

Security Tips: More Secure Dropbox

Dropbox is known for its security and encryption all over the world. You must be thinking about the news and other articles that say Dropbox isn’t secure to store your important files. Those articles are true in their own sense but keep in mind no matter how much security a software offers, there always will be someone looking for a hole in their security and they will succeed one way or another. So to look at the security of Dropbox from that perspective is not fair because Dropbox does provide a great level of encryption and it uses a secure HTTP connection for all your downloads. These are one of the best security precautions that anyone can take these days. Along with all these security measures now Dropbox is introducing 2-step verification system which makes your Dropbox files even more secure.

The 2-step verification system makes sure that an attacker won’t simply be able to get into your Dropbox with your password. This newly added 2-step verification system allows a user to add a new layer of security to your Dropbox account hence making it even more difficult for an attacker to get into your personal files. This verification system needs your mobile number which is then used to send you a 6-digit security code via text. On the other hand if you prefer downloading an Authenticator app that would be a plus because that app generates security codes locally on your phone. You can setup your 2-step verification security by simply going to the settings. Upon enabling the 2-step verification system Dropbox will give you a code, more specifically an emergency backup code that will be used in cases of mobile theft. So save that code somewhere safe and if you ever lose your phone then you can always use that code to get access to your Dropbox.

Recovery System: Recover Deleted Files

Dropbox comes with a built-in recovery system which should never be underestimated. The recovery system that Dropbox provides is quite a strong one as it can keep your

deleted files for almost a month for basic version and for over a year in pro version (Extended version history). So always try to store your important documents and media in your Dropbox folder. This way you will get access to your important documentation from multiple platforms and if you ever delete anything by mistake you can always recover it without any problems, killing two birds with one stone.

Share Link: Read-Only Access to Your Files

This feature is also a great one as it can be used to share your important data in read-only mode with your colleagues or friends or any other person who simply doesn’t use Dropbox. By clicking on share link option you will be provided with a link from Dropbox. The link that Dropbox provides can be used for sharing your data with anyone without worrying about your data being modified. This is a simple but very useful feature that Dropbox comes with.

With all these features and all the tricks that were mentioned in the previous chapters one can easily conclude that Dropbox is a perfect solution to not only your storage problems but for many others as well. Dropbox is simply a must-have for persons who constantly use their electronic gadgets on daily basis and want to have access to all their latest data wherever possible. Upon completing this book you will have more than enough knowledge about Dropbox to get the best out of it. Even if you were a beginner at the start of this book now you are familiar with the most popular yet useful techniques that most of the business men and IT specialists use.