31/08/2016
Dropbox has been hacked!
* What does this mean for you?
If you're one of the millions of users of Dropbox, it's very possible you're details have been leaked in the recent hack which exposed 65 million records.
Luckily, Dropbox was not too sloppy with their encryption, but this doesn't mean you're in the clear. Only that hackers will have to do more work to crack your password.
However, there seems to be session data included in the breach which means hackers can access your account without needing your password.
* What can I do?
1. Change your password on Dropbox.
2. Enable Two Factor Authentication.
3. Delete your active sessions and authorized devices and applications.
4. Visit https://haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email/username to check if your details have been leaked in any other breach.
* How can I protect myself in the future?
You can't. You're only as safe as your service provider.
However, you can try to limit your exposure by practicing proper password management.
1. Enable multi-factor authentication where supported.
2. Use a different password for each website/service.
3. Use a strong password
- A random string of at least 12 characters long.
- Don't use identifying details like date of birth.
- An ample mix of special characters.
- Cannot easily be remembered.
I know, I know. How are you supposed to do that. That's next in
4. Use a password manager e.g. LastPass, 1Password.
We will discuss password managers in detail in our next post to help you decide which one you should choose.
Earlier today, Motherboard reported on what had been rumoured for some time, namely that Dropbox had been hacked. Not just a little bit hacked and not in that "someone has cobbled together a list of credentials that work on Dropbox" hacked either, but proper hacked to the tune of 68