dropbox logo 3Dropbox yesterday emailed users who have not changed their passwords since mid-2012 to inform them they will be prompted to do so the next time they log in.

The cloud storage firm called the action a "preventative measure" and said that there was no indication user accounts had been improperly accessed. Users who held passwords created after mid-2012 were not affected, said the company.

In a blog post explaining what prompted the step, Dropbox said it had learned about an old set of user credentials (email addresses plus hashed and salted passwords) that were stolen in an incident the company reported in 2012.

Based on our threat monitoring and the way we secure passwords, we don't believe that any accounts have been improperly accessed. Still, as one of many precautions, we're requiring anyone who hasn't changed their password since mid-2012 to update it the next time they sign in.

The incident is likely related to the huge LinkedIn hack which saw 117 million account credentials posted online. It's thought that hackers tried the login details on other websites under the assumption that some people use the same passwords across different online services.

Dropbox has taken the opportunity to urge its users to consider enabling two-factor authentication when signing in, and has warned about the risk of re-using the same password across multiple sites.

Tag: Dropbox

Top Rated Comments

SandboxGeneral Avatar
99 months ago
I'm not sure I follow.

Lots of people benefit from Dropbox. I use it do keep files accessible on my desktop computer, laptop and iPhone... and to share files with other people.
That was a joke about when, allegedly, Bill Gates said in 1981 that no one should ever need more than 640kb of RAM.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kajje Avatar
99 months ago
It's more of a "heads up" announcement since many Apple users also use Dropbox on their Macs and iPhones.
Well, the ones that need more than 5GB of data do. After all, 640kb (*) should be enough for everybody.

(* x 8192)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UbuntuFu Avatar
99 months ago
My Dropbox password was set in 2013 so I'm good.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thisisnotmyname Avatar
99 months ago
Always a good idea to change your password even if you're not included in this group and I think I'll do so too.
And use a password management app so that you are not tempted to reuse a standard password across multiple sites. Generate unique strong passwords for every account and segment to prevent further fallout if any one account is compromised.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
99 months ago
That was a joke about when, allegedly, Bill Gates said in 1981 that no one should ever need more than 640kb of RAM.
I also remember that, just that it was 640KB instead of 640kb. :D

Once TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) apps started to appear, 640KB RAM started to become not enough.
Then, the Windows Runtime appeared, and the need for more RAM became even more evident.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
99 months ago
I rephrase...
- Interesting rumor on this Apple related article.
- It's more of a "heads up" announcement since many Apple users also use Dropbox on their Macs and iPhones.
- Yes many Apple users also use Dropbox, definitely the ones that need more than the 5GB of iCloud storage.
Gotcha. It was your reference to 5GB that threw me. I didn't know what you meant.

So do people really use Dropbox as a replacement for iCloud? That never crossed my mind... which is why I was confused by your statement.

Remember you only get 2GB of Dropbox for free.

That's why I didn't relate Dropbox to iCloud. I didn't think they were substitutes for each other.


But anyway.... your original comment seemed like you were confused why this article appeared on MacRumors. So I was just attempting to explain why.

We're all good now. :)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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