Dropbox

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Dropbox

Logo (2017)
Basic data

developer Dropbox Inc.
Publishing year June 2007
Current  version 80.4.126 ( Windows , macOS and Linux )
February 20, 2019

150.2 ( iOS )
July 15, 2019

Varies with the other operating systems depending on the device

Connect to Dropbox
1.3.2.15 ( Blackberry )
May 8, 2015

operating system Windows , macOS , Linux , Android , iOS , iPadOS , Blackberry , Xbox One
programming language Python , C ++
category Backup and synchronization
License proprietary
German speaking Yes
www.dropbox.com
Logo (2015)
Logo 2011

Dropbox (English to drop drop =; box = box) is a 2007 imported file hosting - services (including Cloud Storage known) of the company Dropbox Inc., based in the US. If you put files in a special folder (the Dropbox), this folder will be replicated in the background with a folder set up on the server - as soon as you log on to another computer with the same Dropbox account, the server folder will also automatically be in the background synchronized with the corresponding folder on the other PC.

The system is used for online data storage, but also for the exchange of data between different users. Access to the Dropbox is possible with the browser and with the help of applications ( apps ) under different operating systems .

history

Dropbox was founded in 2007 in San Francisco by two students, Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi . Their goal was to develop a service that would eliminate the need to exchange large files via email or USB sticks and solve the associated problems. The service was funded by Y Combinator in the start-up phase and received funding from Sequoia Capital in the year it was founded , which was later increased several times.

Added to this was more than $ 250 million in January 2014, much of it from financial investor BlackRock .

At the end of 2010, Dropbox officially left the beta phase and the first stable version 1.0 was released. At this point, Windows , Linux, and macOS were fully supported. In addition, Dropbox was given the function for the first time to only synchronize selected content instead of the entire folder (Selective Sync) .

In 2011, a variant of the web service was introduced under the name Dropbox for teams . This is aimed at companies that need centralized management of storage capacity and access rights . Unlike the other plans, Dropbox for Teams counts the storage of each user against the quota of the entire company and not per person. In 2013 the name of the platform was changed to Dropbox Business .

In August 2016, Dropbox announced a new collaboration tool, Dropbox Paper , with which users can work on text documents in a team over the Internet together and at the same time. As of January 2017, the tool left the beta phase .

Functions

When you register with Dropbox, a new folder is created on the device you use first. All the files it contains are synchronized with a directory on the operator's server so that the content is always identical. The data synchronization only works if the user has an active Internet connection - if he is offline, changed files are synchronized as soon as the connection is re-established. In theory, any number of devices can be connected to a Dropbox.

If two devices are in the same local network , synchronization can also take place over them if desired, without the Dropbox servers (LAN Sync) . To save storage space, Dropbox uses deduplication . Files that are uploaded by multiple users and that are identical are only saved once.

By default, all folders and files in a Dropbox are not publicly visible, other users must first be invited to participate. This is done by sending an automatically generated email, whereby the recipient can accept or reject access to third-party content. After accepting the invitation, all changes to the shared ("shared") objects are synchronized as if they were folders and files you created yourself. The authorizations for owners and participants in folders and files can be changed at any time via the web-based interface of Dropbox. Since 2012, read access to folders and files can also be granted to people who are not registered with Dropbox themselves.

With Dropbox Paper , the company offers a tool for collaboration and task management as well as for creating online documents individually or in a team. The product is available to all registered users free of charge in 21 languages.

safety

The main criticism is that the data is stored unencrypted and is therefore accessible to employees of Dropbox Inc. and potentially also to secret services, for example in the context of the PRISM project . For this service, the company has been using its own data centers for around 90% of the storage capacity since March 2016, but also - not visible to the user - the S3 web service from Amazon Web Services , such as in the USA and the AWS data center in Frankfurt. The latter is only available for German business customers and at an additional cost. According to the company, the data is provided with AES encryption (with a 256-bit key length) before it is stored, so that unauthorized access by third parties is excluded according to the current state of the art. However, Dropbox itself has full clear text access to user files.

In addition, the entire transport communication between client and server is encoded using the SSL method .

However, since Dropbox, as the operator, centrally stores the above-mentioned private AES key in its service for each user and does not hand it over to the user, experts recommend encrypting files worth protecting yourself in advance. This encrypts the files end-to-end . With regular use, this has the disadvantage that you can only use it yourself, knowing the key of your own encryption, and you also lose access to the web interface. The distribution of files among friends, for example, is ruled out.

Dropbox has been supporting two-step authentication since 2012 to make it more difficult for strangers to hijack the account. In addition to the password, it can be activated that when new devices are accessed, a PIN code is generated for an application on the user's smartphone , which is also entered. Alternatively, this can be sent as a classic SMS .

In August 2016, strangers published more than 68 million Dropbox credentials. A test on the Troy Hunt project page Have I Been Pwned?

Interfaces

Other applications can also access Dropbox via a programming interface made available to developers of third-party software. In this way it is z. For example, you can access Dropbox directly from Gmail , back up files from Google Chrome directly to Dropbox, or fully automate recurring tasks.

Dropbox, in turn, accesses various other programs itself. From version 2.0, for example, the photos are read out under iOS in order to automatically upload them to Dropbox. A data comparison with iPhoto and the screenshot software of the operating system is also possible.

Rates

Dropbox is based on a freemium model in which the most important functions are free and users only have to pay for extensions. With Dropbox, paid tariffs relate to storage size and simplified administration . Specifically, the following tariff levels are currently offered: 

Dropbox Basic (kostenlos): 2 GB Speicher (zzgl. 500 MB Bonusspeicherplatz pro empfohlenen Nutzer; maximal 16 GB) bei einer Begrenzung des Datenverkehrs auf 20 GB pro Tag für freigegebene Links, seit März 2019 maximal drei autorisierte Geräte (davor bestehende Verknüpfungen bleiben erhalten).
  • Dropbox Plus : Subscription for 1 TB (1000 gigabytes) storage space (plus 1 GB bonus storage space per recommended user; maximum 32 GB) with a data traffic limit of 200 GB per day for shared links.
  • Dropbox Business Standard : Subscription from five managed users. Storage: 2 TB (2000 gigabytes) for the entire team.
  • Dropbox Business Advanced : Subscription from five managed users with additional administrator, audit and integration functions. Storage space: individually tailored to the company.
  • Dropbox Enterprise : Subscription for larger companies. Storage space: individually tailored to the company.
  • Dropbox Education : Subscription from 300 Dropbox user licenses with 15 GB of storage space per user (total storage is available to all users).

criticism

Dropbox has been criticized again and again for its poor security . In 2011, after updating its server software, the service accepted any passwords for four hours , leaving almost all of the users' files unprotected. In 2012, according to official information, attackers temporarily gained access to an account belonging to a Dropbox employee, which allowed them to retrieve the email addresses and other personal data of numerous registered users.

At times, the Dropbox client software also had considerable weaknesses: the service initially only used the so-called host_id for authentication , which was supposed to identify the device used in a forgery-proof manner . With a full copy of a locally installed Dropbox installation, unrestricted access to the storage space of the respective user was possible. Furthermore, an incorrect preset in the Android software made it possible for third parties to upload any files to a Dropbox. Both issues were resolved by updating the affected software.

In connection with the revelations of the worldwide wiretapping activities of the US secret service NSA by the whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, Dropbox was named as a future cooperation partner of the NSA. Security experts therefore recommend the use of suitable encryption software when using Dropbox for files that are worth protecting. In 2016, Dropbox declared the German cloud-optimized encryption solution Boxcryptor an official premium technology partner.

In April 2014, Condoleezza Rice's appointment to the Dropbox Board of Directors sparked fierce criticism , as she was jointly responsible for the expansion of the state surveillance apparatus after the terrorist attacks on September 11, prior to her time as Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration as National Security Advisor 2001 was.

literature

  • Holger Bleich, Jeremias Radke, Fabian A. Scherschel: Highly available. Ten cloud data storage devices in the test. In: c't . July 12, 2014, No. 16, pp. 72-77.
  • Christian Schilling: Dropbox: Store safely and work effectively in the cloud . 1st edition. mitp, Heidelberg 2013, ISBN 978-3-8266-9457-8 .

Web links

Commons : Dropbox  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ dropboxforum.com In: dropboxforum.com
  2. ↑ Preview page for iOS. In: App Store (iOS) . Retrieved July 21, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Installation page for Android. In: Google Play . Retrieved December 14, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Installation page for Windows 10 and Xbox One. In: Microsoft Store . Retrieved December 14, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Declaration by the developer on responsibility for the Blackberry version. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved July 14, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Installation page for Connect to Dropbox for Blackberry. In: Blackberry World . Retrieved July 14, 2017 .
  7. ↑ What is Dropbox? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
  8. ↑ Michael Carney: Dropbox exists, because Drew Houston didn't accept the status quo. In: PandoDaily. February 21, 2013, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  9. ↑ Michael Arrington: Secretive Storage Company Dropbox Took Sequoia Funding in 2007. In: TechCrunch. September 4, 2008, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  10. ↑ Liz Gannes: Dropbox Raises $ 7.25M, Crosses 3M Users. In: GigaOM. November 24, 2009, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  11. ↑ Dropbox is collecting new money. In: Handelsblatt . January 18, 2014, accessed April 4, 2014 .
  12. ↑ Sébastien Bonset: Dropbox reaches version 1.0. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . December 17, 2010, archived from the original on February 20, 2016 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  13. ↑ Carsten Knobloch: Dropbox: Selective Sync is here! In: Caschy's blog . May 28, 2010, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  14. ↑ Andreas Floemer: Dropbox for teams is here - 1,000 GB included. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . November 8, 2011, archived from the original on February 20, 2016 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Achim Sawall: Dropbox for Teams offers 1 TB of storage. In: Golem.de . October 28, 2011, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  16. ↑ Jon Fingas: Dropbox for Teams Becomes Dropbox for Business, adds single sign-on for good measure. In: Engadget. April 10, 2013, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  17. ↑ Andreas Donath: Dropbox Paper is supposed to compete with Google Docs. In: Golem.de . August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2017 .
  18. ↑ speicherguide.de: Dropbox introduces the functions “Smart Sync” and “Paper” for corporate users - speicherguide.de. Retrieved May 15, 2017 .
  19. ↑ How To Sync Files Between Two Computers With Dropbox LAN Sync. In: UltraLinx. March 5, 2013, accessed June 17, 2015 .
  20. ↑ How do I share a folder? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013 .
  21. ↑ How can I leave a shared folder? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013 .
  22. ↑ Dropbox makes it easy to share files. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . April 23, 2012, archived from the original on January 3, 2016 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  23. ^ Transforming how teams collaborate. Retrieved May 15, 2017 .
  24. ↑ Dropbox: Paper and Smart Sync aim to improve collaboration | ZDNet.de . In: ZDNet.de . January 31, 2017 ( zdnet.de [accessed May 15, 2017]).
  25. ↑ Jörg Breithut (jbr): Snowden warns users about Dropbox. In: Spiegel Online . July 18, 2014, accessed July 14, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Andreas Fischer: Dropbox relies on its own cloud infrastructure. In: com! The computer magazine . March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2017 .
  27. ^ Daniel Dubsky: Dropbox offers data storage in Germany. In: crn.de. September 22, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2017 .
  28. ↑ How secure is Dropbox? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013 .
  29. ↑ Axel Vahldiek: Outsourcing with theft protection. Store personal files securely on the Internet. In: c't . 2010, accessed June 17, 2015 .
  30. ↑ Marcel Seer: Secure your Dropbox account with two-step verification, that's how it works. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . August 27, 2012, archived from the original on December 26, 2015 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  31. ↑ Check if you have an account that has been compromised in a data breach. In: haveibeenpwned.com. Troy Hunt, accessed February 9, 2017 .
  32. ↑ Build the power of Dropbox into your apps. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013 .
  33. ↑ Andreas Floemer: Dropbox: The 15 best apps and extensions. In: t3n magazine . June 27, 2014, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  34. ↑ Yvonne Ortmann: Dropbox 2.0: improved photo upload and more modern design. In: t3n magazine . December 15, 2012, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  35. ↑ Johannes Schuba: Dropbox: New build with screenshot sharing and iPhoto integration. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . June 6, 2013, archived from the original on December 26, 2015 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  36. ↑ Everything you need to work more effectively. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
  37. ↑ Is there a limit to the number of devices I can link to my account? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved April 14, 2019 .
  38. ↑ Upgrade to Dropbox Pro. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016 .
  39. ↑ Select a subscription. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
  40. ↑ Why are my links being blocked? In: dropbox.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
  41. ↑ Dropbox Business pricing. In: dropbox.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017 .
  42. ↑ Prices for Dropbox Business - Dropbox Business. Retrieved May 3, 2017 .
  43. ↑ Dropbox Business: the Enterprise plan . ( dropbox.com [accessed May 3, 2017]).
  44. ↑ What is Dropbox Education? ( dropbox.com [accessed May 3, 2017]).
  45. ↑ Daniel Bachfeld: Dropbox accepted any password for four hours. In: Heise online . June 21, 2011, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  46. ↑ Marcel Seer: Dropbox vulnerability exploited: inattentiveness gives hackers mail addresses. (No longer available online.) In: t3n magazine . August 1, 2012, archived from the original on December 26, 2015 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 .
  47. ↑ Christian Klaß: Dropbox as a security risk. In: Golem.de . April 8, 2011, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  48. ^ Derek Newton: Dropbox authentication: insecure by design. April 7, 2011, accessed June 11, 2013 .
  49. ↑ Hajo Schulz: Security hole in the Dropbox client for Android. In: Heise online . August 15, 2011, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  50. ↑ Scott Martin: Twitter notably absent from NSA PRISM list. In: USA Today . June 7, 2013, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  51. ↑ Fahmida Y. Rashid: Don't Want to Be Spied On? Think about encryption. Security watch. In: PC Magazine . June 10, 2013, accessed January 20, 2016 .
  52. ↑ Now it's official: Boxcryptor is a Dropbox premium technology partner. In: Boxcryptor . May 31, 2016, accessed October 20, 2017 .
  53. ↑ Leo Becker (lbe): Dropbox users outraged about the appointment of Condoleezza Rice. In: Heise online . April 10, 2014, accessed January 20, 2016 .