What happened in the Dropbox data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
In mid-2012, Dropbox experienced a data breach that exposed the stored credentials of a large number of their customers. The breach became public in August 2016, when Dropbox forced password resets for customers they believed may be at risk. A significant volume of data, including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, was later traded online. The incident highlighted the importance of strong security measures and the risks associated with password reuse.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 69 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, emphasizing the need for robust security measures and the dangers of reusing passwords.
How was Dropbox hacked?
In the 2012 Dropbox data breach, hackers exploited password reuse, gaining access to an employee's Dropbox account using a password stolen during the LinkedIn breach. The employee had uploaded a document containing Dropbox email addresses and passwords, which were then leaked online. The breach affected 68 million users, with exposed data including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords.
Dropbox's solution
Following the data breach, Dropbox took several steps to enhance their security measures and protect their users. They reset the passwords of affected users and logged them out of any devices connected to Dropbox. Although not explicitly mentioned, it is likely that Dropbox removed any malware and backdoors used by the attackers. They also launched an investigation with industry-leading forensic investigators to understand the incident and mitigate risks to users. Dropbox reached out to impacted users with step-by-step instructions on how to further protect their data and recommended users to reset their passwords as soon as possible, as well as utilize multi-factor authentication when available.
How do I know if I was affected?
Dropbox reached out to affected users following the breach. If you were a Dropbox user during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Dropbox Password: Immediately update your Dropbox password. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform, particularly if you haven't changed your Dropbox password since 2012.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your Dropbox account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
For more specific help and instructions, please contact Dropbox support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Dropbox data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the Dropbox data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
In mid-2012, Dropbox experienced a data breach that exposed the stored credentials of a large number of their customers. The breach became public in August 2016, when Dropbox forced password resets for customers they believed may be at risk. A significant volume of data, including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, was later traded online. The incident highlighted the importance of strong security measures and the risks associated with password reuse.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 69 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, emphasizing the need for robust security measures and the dangers of reusing passwords.
How was Dropbox hacked?
In the 2012 Dropbox data breach, hackers exploited password reuse, gaining access to an employee's Dropbox account using a password stolen during the LinkedIn breach. The employee had uploaded a document containing Dropbox email addresses and passwords, which were then leaked online. The breach affected 68 million users, with exposed data including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords.
Dropbox's solution
Following the data breach, Dropbox took several steps to enhance their security measures and protect their users. They reset the passwords of affected users and logged them out of any devices connected to Dropbox. Although not explicitly mentioned, it is likely that Dropbox removed any malware and backdoors used by the attackers. They also launched an investigation with industry-leading forensic investigators to understand the incident and mitigate risks to users. Dropbox reached out to impacted users with step-by-step instructions on how to further protect their data and recommended users to reset their passwords as soon as possible, as well as utilize multi-factor authentication when available.
How do I know if I was affected?
Dropbox reached out to affected users following the breach. If you were a Dropbox user during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Dropbox Password: Immediately update your Dropbox password. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform, particularly if you haven't changed your Dropbox password since 2012.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your Dropbox account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
For more specific help and instructions, please contact Dropbox support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Dropbox data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the Dropbox data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
In mid-2012, Dropbox experienced a data breach that exposed the stored credentials of a large number of their customers. The breach became public in August 2016, when Dropbox forced password resets for customers they believed may be at risk. A significant volume of data, including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, was later traded online. The incident highlighted the importance of strong security measures and the risks associated with password reuse.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 69 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included email addresses and salted hashes of passwords, emphasizing the need for robust security measures and the dangers of reusing passwords.
How was Dropbox hacked?
In the 2012 Dropbox data breach, hackers exploited password reuse, gaining access to an employee's Dropbox account using a password stolen during the LinkedIn breach. The employee had uploaded a document containing Dropbox email addresses and passwords, which were then leaked online. The breach affected 68 million users, with exposed data including email addresses and salted hashes of passwords.
Dropbox's solution
Following the data breach, Dropbox took several steps to enhance their security measures and protect their users. They reset the passwords of affected users and logged them out of any devices connected to Dropbox. Although not explicitly mentioned, it is likely that Dropbox removed any malware and backdoors used by the attackers. They also launched an investigation with industry-leading forensic investigators to understand the incident and mitigate risks to users. Dropbox reached out to impacted users with step-by-step instructions on how to further protect their data and recommended users to reset their passwords as soon as possible, as well as utilize multi-factor authentication when available.
How do I know if I was affected?
Dropbox reached out to affected users following the breach. If you were a Dropbox user during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Dropbox Password: Immediately update your Dropbox password. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform, particularly if you haven't changed your Dropbox password since 2012.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your Dropbox account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
For more specific help and instructions, please contact Dropbox support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Dropbox data breach, check out the following news articles:
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