Dropbox Business
Security
A Dropbox Whitepaper
©2018 Dropbox. All rights reserved. v2018.03
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 2
©2018 Dropbox. All rights reserved. v2018.03
Contents
Introduction
Under the hood
Product features (security, control, and visibility)
Application security
Apps for Dropbox
Network security
Vulnerability management
Dropbox information security
Physical security
Compliance
Privacy
Dropbox Trust Program
Summary
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Under the hood
Our easy-to-use interfaces are backed by an infrastructure working behind the scenes to ensure
fast, reliable syncing, sharing, and collaboration. To make this happen, we’re continually evolving
our product and architecture to speed data transfer, improve reliability, and adjust to changes in the
environment. In this section, we’ll explain how data is transferred, stored, and processed securely.
File infrastructure
Dropbox users can access files and folders at any time from the desktop, web, and mobile clients, or
through third-party applications connected to Dropbox. All of these clients connect to secure servers
to provide access to files, allow file sharing with others, and update linked devices when files are
added, changed, or deleted.
Dropbox’s file infrastructure is comprised of the following components:
Introduction
Over 300,000 businesses and organizations rely on Dropbox Business as a unified home for their
teams’ content, enabling them to collaborate and share seamlessly. But more than just an easy-
to-use collaboration tool, Dropbox Business is designed to keep data secure. We’ve created a
sophisticated infrastructure onto which account administrators can layer and customize policies
of their own. In this whitepaper, we’ll detail the back-end policies, as well as options available to
admins, that make Dropbox Business the secure tool for unleashing teams’ creative energy.
This whitepaper also covers the security of Dropbox Paper (or “Paper”), a collaborative workspace
that helps teams create and share ideas. Paper is available on the web and for mobile, and enables
team members to manage projects, create and share docs, and exchange feedback in real time.
Except where noted, the information in this whitepaper applies to all Dropbox Business products
(Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise) and Dropbox Education. Paper is a feature of Dropbox
Business and Dropbox Education.
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• Block Servers
By design, Dropbox provides a unique
security mechanism that goes beyond
traditional encryption to protect user
data. Block Servers process files from the
Dropbox applications by splitting each into
blocks, encrypting each file block using a
strong cipher, and synchronizing only blocks
that have been modified between revisions.
When a Dropbox application detects a
new file or changes to an existing file,
the application notifies the Block Servers
of the change, and new or modified file
blocks are processed and transferred to the
Storage Servers. For detailed information
on the encryption used by these services
both in transit and at rest, please see the
Encryption section below.
• Storage Servers
The actual contents of users’ files are
stored in encrypted blocks with the
Storage Servers. Prior to transmission, the
Dropbox client splits files into file blocks
in preparation for the storage. The Storage
Servers act as a Content-Addressable
Storage (CAS) system, with each individual
encrypted file block retrieved based on its
hash value.
• Metadata Servers
Certain basic information about user data,
called metadata, is kept in its own discrete
storage service and acts as an index for the
data in users’ accounts. Dropbox metadata
is stored in a MySQL-backed database
service, and is sharded and replicated as
needed to meet performance and high
availability requirements. Metadata includes
basic account and user information, like
email address, name, and device names.
Metadata also includes basic information
about files, including file names and types,
that helps support features like version
history, recovery, and sync.
• Notification Service
This separate service is dedicated to
monitoring whether or not any changes
have been made to Dropbox accounts.
No files or metadata are stored here or
transferred. Each client establishes a long
poll connection to the notification service
and waits. When a change to any file in
Dropbox takes place, the notification service
signals a change to the relevant client(s) by
closing the long poll connection. Closing
the connection signals that the client must
connect to the Metadata Servers securely
to synchronize any changes.
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Distributing dierent levels of information across these services not only makes syncing faster and
more reliable, it also enhances security. The nature of the Dropbox architecture means access to any
individual service cannot be used to re-create files. For information on the types of encryption used
on the various services, please see the Encryption section below.
File data storage
Dropbox primarily stores two kinds of file data: metadata about files (such as the date and time a file
was last changed) and the actual contents of files (file blocks). File metadata is stored on Dropbox
servers. File blocks are stored in one of two systems: Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Magic
Pocket, Dropbox’s in-house storage system. Magic Pocket consists of both proprietary software and
hardware and has been designed from the ground up to be reliable and secure. In both Magic Pocket
and AWS, file blocks are encrypted at rest, and both systems meet high standards for reliability. For
more details, please see the Reliability section below.
File sync
Dropbox oers industry-recognized best-in-class file sync. Our sync mechanisms ensure fast,
responsive file transfers and enable anywhere access to data across devices. Dropbox sync is also
resilient. In the event of a failed connection to the Dropbox service, a client will gracefully resume
operation when a connection is reestablished. Files will only be updated on the local client if they
have synchronized completely and successfully validated with the Dropbox service. Load balancing
across multiple servers ensures redundancy and a consistent synchronization experience for the
end user.
• Delta sync
Using this sync method, only modified portions of files are downloaded/uploaded. Dropbox stores
each uploaded file in discrete, encrypted blocks and only updates the blocks that have changed.
• Streaming sync
Instead of waiting for a file upload to complete, streaming sync will begin downloading synced
blocks to a second device before all of the blocks have finished uploading from the first device.
This is automatically employed when separate computers are linked to the same Dropbox account
or when dierent Dropbox accounts share a folder.
• LAN sync
When enabled, this feature downloads new and updated files from other computers on the same
Local Area Network (LAN), saving time and bandwidth compared to downloading the files from
Dropbox servers.
Architecture
There are three main components of the LAN sync system that run on the desktop app: the discovery
engine, the server, and the client. The discovery engine is responsible for finding machines on the
network to sync with. This is limited to machines that have authorized access to the same personal or
shared Dropbox folder(s). The server handles requests from other machines on the network, serving the
requested file blocks. The client is responsible for trying to request file blocks from the network.
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Discovery engine
Each machine on the LAN periodically sends and listens for UDP broadcast packets over port 17500
(which is reserved by IANA for LAN sync). These packets contain the version of the protocol used by
that computer; the personal and shared Dropbox folders supported; the TCP port that’s being used to
run the server (which may be dierent from 17500 if that port is unavailable); and a random identifier for
the machine. When a packet is seen, the IP address of the machine is added to a list for each personal or
shared folder, indicating a potential target.
Protocol
The actual file block transfer is done over HTTPS. Each computer runs an HTTPS server with endpoints.
A client will poll multiple peers to see if they have the blocks, but only download blocks from one server.
To keep all of your data safe, we make sure that only clients authenticated for a given folder can request
file blocks. We also make sure that computers cannot pretend to be servers for folders that they do not
control. To solve for this, we generate SSL key/certificate pairs for every personal Dropbox or shared
folder. These are distributed from Dropbox servers to the user’s computers that are authenticated for the
folder. The key/certificate pairs are rotated any time membership changes (for example, when someone
is removed from a shared folder). We require both ends of the HTTPS connection to authenticate with
the same certificate (the certificate for the Dropbox or shared folder). This proves that both ends of the
connection are authenticated.
When making a connection, we tell the server which personal Dropbox or folder we are trying to connect
for by using Server Name Indication (SNI) so that the server knows which certificate to use.
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Server/client
With the protocol described above, the server just needs to know which blocks are present and where to
find them.
Based on the results of the discovery engine, the client maintains a list of peers for each personal Dropbox
folder and shared folder. When the LAN sync system gets a request to download a file block, it sends a
request to a random sample of the peers that it has discovered for the personal Dropbox or shared folder,
and then requests the block from the first one that responds that it has the block.
To avoid latencies, we use connection pools to allow us to reuse already-started connections. We don’t
open a connection until it is needed, and once it is open we keep it alive in case we need it again. We also
limit the number of connections to any single peer.
If a file block is not found or downloaded successfully, or if the connection turns out to be too slow, the
system falls back to getting the block from Dropbox servers.
LAN Sync Client LAN Sync Server
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Paper infrastructure
Dropbox users can access Paper docs at any time from the web and mobile clients, or through third-
party applications connected to the Dropbox Paper application. All of these clients connect to secure
servers to provide access to Paper docs, allow doc sharing with others, and update linked devices
when docs are added, changed, or deleted.
Dropbox Paper’s infrastructure is comprised of the following components:
• Paper Application Servers
The Paper Application Servers process user requests, render the output of edited Paper docs
back to the user, and perform notification services. Paper Application Servers write inbound
user edits to the Paper Databases, where they are placed in persistent storage. Communication
sessions between the Paper Application Servers and Paper Databases are encrypted using a
strong cipher.
• Paper Databases
The actual contents of users’ Paper docs, as well as certain metadata about these Paper docs,
are encrypted in persistent storage on the Paper Databases. This includes information about a
Paper doc (such as the title, shared membership and permissions, folder associations, and other
information), as well as content within the Paper doc itself, including comments and tasks. The
Paper Databases are sharded and replicated as needed to meet performance and high availability
requirements.
• Paper Image Servers
Images uploaded to Paper docs are stored and encrypted at rest on the Paper Image Servers.
Transmission of image data between the Paper Application and Paper Image Servers occurs over
an encrypted session.
• Paper Image Proxy Service
The Paper Image Proxy Service delivers image previews both for images uploaded to Paper docs,
as well as hyperlinks embedded within Paper docs. For images uploaded to Paper docs, the Paper
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Image Proxy Service fetches image data stored in the Paper Image Servers via an encrypted
channel. For hyperlinks embedded within Paper docs, the Image Proxy Service fetches image data
from the source link and renders a preview of the image using either HTTP or HTTPS as specified
by the source link.
Paper doc storage
Dropbox primarily stores the following kinds of data in Paper docs: metadata about Paper
docs (such as a doc’s shared permissions) and the actual contents of Paper docs uploaded by
the user. These are collectively referred to as Paper doc data, and images uploaded to Paper
docs are referred to as Paper image data. Each of these kinds of data is stored in Amazon Web
Services (AWS). Paper docs are encrypted at rest in AWS, and AWS meets high standards for
reliability. For more details, please see the Reliability section below.
Reliability
A storage system is only as good as it is reliable, and to that end, we’ve developed Dropbox with
multiple layers of redundancy to guard against data loss and ensure availability.
File metadata
Redundant copies of file metadata are distributed across independent devices within a data center
in at least an N+2 availability model. Incremental backups are performed hourly, and full backups are
performed every three days. Metadata is stored on servers hosted and managed by Dropbox in the
United States.
File blocks
Redundant copies of file blocks are stored independently in at least two separate geographic regions
and replicated reliably within each region. (Note: For customers who choose to have their files stored
in our European infrastructure, file blocks are replicated within Europe only. For more information,
see the Data centers and managed service providers section below.) Both Magic Pocket and AWS
are designed to provide annual data durability of at least 99.999999999%.
Dropbox’s architecture, applications, and sync mechanisms work together to protect user data
and make it highly available. In the rare event of a service availability outage, Dropbox users still
have access to the latest copies of files that have been synced to the local Dropbox folder on linked
computers. Copies of files synced in the Dropbox desktop client/local folder will be accessible from
a user’s hard drive during downtime, outages, or when oline. Changes to files and folders will be
synced to Dropbox once service or connectivity is restored.
Paper docs
Redundant copies of Paper doc data are distributed across independent devices within a data center
in an N+1 availability model. Full backups of Paper doc data are also performed daily. For Paper doc
storage, Dropbox uses AWS infrastructure in the United States, which is designed to provide annual
data durability of at least 99.999999999%. In the rare event of a service availability outage,
users still have access to the latest synced copies of their Paper docs in “oline” mode within the
mobile application.
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Incident response
We have incident response policies and procedures to address service availability, integrity, security,
privacy, and confidentiality issues. As part of our incident response procedures, we have dedicated
teams who are trained to:
• Promptly respond to alerts of potential incidents
• Determine the severity of the incident
• If necessary, execute mitigation and containment measures
• Communicate with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including notification to aected
customers to meet breach or incident notification contractual obligations and to comply with
relevant laws and regulations
• Gather and preserve evidence for investigative eorts
• Document a postmortem and develop a permanent triage plan
The incident response policies and processes are audited as part of our SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other
security assessments.
Business continuity
Dropbox has established a business continuity management system (BCMS) to address how
to resume or continue providing services to users—as well as how to function as a company—if
business-critical processes and activities are disrupted. We conduct a cyclic process consisting of
the following phases:
• Business impact and risk assessments
We conduct a business impact assessment (BIA) at least annually to identify processes critical
to Dropbox, assess the potential impact of disruptions, set prioritized timeframes for recovery,
and identify our critical dependencies and suppliers. We also conduct a company-wide risk
assessment at least annually. The risk assessment helps us systematically identify, analyze, and
evaluate the risk of disruptive incidents to Dropbox. Together, the risk assessment and BIA inform
continuity priorities, and mitigation and recovery strategies for business continuity plans (BCPs).
• Business continuity plans
Teams identified by the BIA as critical to Dropbox’s continuity use this information to develop
BCPs for their critical processes. These plans help the teams know who is responsible for
resuming processes if there’s an emergency, who in another Dropbox oice or location can
take over their processes during a disruption, and which methods for communications should
be used during a continuity event. These plans also help prepare us for a disruptive incident
by centralizing our recovery plans and other important information, such as when and how the
plan should be used, contact and meeting information, important apps, and recovery strategies.
Dropbox’s continuity plans are tied into our company-wide crisis management plan (CMP), which
establishes Dropbox’s crisis management and incident response teams.
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• Plan testing/exercising
Dropbox tests selected elements of its business continuity plans at least annually. These tests are
consistent with the BCMS’s scope and objectives, are based on appropriate scenarios, and are
well-designed with clearly defined aims. The tests may range in scope from tabletop exercises
to full-scale simulations of real-life incidents. Based on the results of the testing, as well as
experience from actual incidents, teams update and improve their plans to address issues and
strengthen their response capabilities.
• Review and approval of BCMS
At least annually, our executive sta reviews the BCMS as part of reviewing Dropbox’s
Trust Program.
Disaster recovery
To address information security requirements during a major crisis or disaster impacting Dropbox
Business operations, we maintain a disaster recovery plan. The Dropbox Infrastructure Team reviews
this plan annually and tests selected elements at least annually. Relevant findings are documented
and tracked until resolution.
Our Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) addresses both durability and availability disasters, which are
defined as follows.
• A durability disaster consists of one or more of the following:
• A complete or permanent loss of a primary data center that stores metadata, or of multiple data centers
that store file blocks
• Lost ability to communicate or serve data from a data center that stores metadata, or from multiple data
centers that store file content
• An availability disaster consists of one or more of the following:
• An outage greater than 10 days
• Lost ability to communicate or serve data from a storage service/data center that stores metadata, or
from multiple storage services/data centers that store file blocks
We define a Recovery Time Objective (RTO), which is the duration of time and a service level in
which business process or service must be restored after a disaster, and a Recovery Point Objective
(RPO), which is the maximum tolerable period in which data might be lost from a service disruption.
We also measure the Recovery Time Actual (RTA) during Disaster Recovery testing, which is
performed at least annually.
Dropbox incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans are subject to being
tested at planned intervals and upon significant organizational or environmental changes.
Data centers and managed service providers
Dropbox corporate and production systems are housed at third-party subservice organization data
centers and managed service providers located in dierent regions of the United States. Subservice
organization data center SOC reports and/or vendor security questionnaires and contractual
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obligations are reviewed at a minimum annually for suicient security controls. These third-party
service providers are responsible for the physical, environmental, and operational security controls
at the boundaries of Dropbox infrastructure. Dropbox is responsible for the logical, network, and
application security of our infrastructure housed at third-party data centers.
Our managed service provider for processing and storage, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is
responsible for the logical and network security of Dropbox services provided through their
infrastructure. Connections are protected through their firewall, which is configured in a default
deny-all mode. Dropbox restricts access to the environment to a limited number of IP addresses
and employees.
Infrastructure in Europe
Dropbox oers Europe-based storage of file blocks for qualified customers. Our infrastructure is
hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Frankfurt, Germany and replicated within the Frankfurt
region to ensure redundancy and protect against data loss. Metadata and Paper docs are stored in
the United States for all customers.
Product features (security,
control, and visibility)
Dropbox provides the administrative control and visibility features that empower both IT and end
users to eectively manage their businesses and data. Below is a sampling of features available to
admins and users, as well as third-party integrations for managing core IT processes.
Note: Availability of features varies by subscription plan. See dropbox.com/business/plans
for details.
Admin management features
No two organizations are exactly alike, so we’ve developed a number of tools that empower admins to
customize Dropbox Business to their teams’ particular needs. Below are several control and visibility
features available via the Dropbox Business Admin Console.
Controls
• Tiered admin roles
Dropbox oers tiered admin roles to enable more eective team management. Account admins
can be assigned one of three access levels. There is no limit to the number of admins a team can
have, and any team member can be assigned an admin role.
• Team admin
Can set team-wide security and sharing permissions, create admins, and manage members. The team
admin has all available admin permissions. Only team admins can assign or change admin roles, and there
must always be at least one team admin on a Dropbox Business account.
• User management admin
Can address most team management tasks, including adding and removing team members, managing
Groups, and viewing a team’s activity feed.
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• Support admin
Can address common service requests from team members, like restoring deleted files or helping team
members locked out of two-step authentication. Support admins can also reset non-admin passwords
and export an activity log for a specified team member.
• User provisioning and identity management methods
• Email invitation
A tool in the Dropbox Business Admin Console allows administrators to manually generate an
email invitation.
• Active Directory
Dropbox Business administrators can automate the creation and removal of accounts from an existing
Active Directory system via our Active Directory connector or a third-party identity provider. Once
integrated, Active Directory can be used to manage membership.
• Single sign-on (SSO)
Dropbox Business can be configured to allow team members access by signing into a central identity
provider. Our SSO implementation, which uses the industry-standard Security Assertion Markup
Language 2.0 (SAML 2.0), makes life easier and more secure by placing a trusted identity provider in
charge of authentication and giving team members access to Dropbox without an additional password to
manage. Dropbox has also partnered with leading identity management providers so that users can be
provisioned and deprovisioned automatically. Please see the Dropbox Business API integrations
section below.
• API
The Dropbox Business API can be used by customers to build custom user provisioning and identity
management solutions. Please see the Dropbox Business API integrations section below.
• Domain management
Dropbox provides a set of tools for companies to simplify and speed up the process of onboarding
users and controlling Dropbox usage.
• Domain verification
Companies can claim ownership of their domains and unlock the other domain management tools.
• Invite enforcement
Admins can require individual Dropbox users who have been invited to the company’s Dropbox team to
migrate to the team or change the email address on their personal account.
• Domain insights
Admins are able to see key information, such as how many individual Dropbox accounts are using
company email addresses.
• Account capture
Admins can force all Dropbox users using a company email address to join the company’s team or change
the email address on their personal account.
• Enterprise installer
Admins requiring scaled provisioning can use our enterprise installer for Windows to install the
Dropbox desktop client silently and remotely via managed-software solutions and deployment
mechanisms.
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• Two-step verification requirement
Admins can choose to require two-step verification for all team members or just specific
members. Other multi-factor authentication requirements can be enforced through the team’s
SSO implementation.
• Password control
Admins of Education, Advanced, and Enterprise teams can require members to set and maintain
strong, complex passwords for their accounts. When this feature is enabled, team members
will be signed out of any web sessions and required to create new passwords when they sign
in. A built-in tool analyzes the strength of passwords by comparing them against a database of
commonly used words, names, patterns, and numbers. A user entering a common password is
prompted to come up with something more unique and diicult to guess. Admins can also reset
passwords for the entire team or on a per-user basis.
• Groups
Teams can create and manage lists of members within Dropbox and easily give them access
to specific folders. Dropbox can also sync Active Directory groups using the Active Directory
Connector.
• Company-managed groups
Only admins can create, delete, and manage the membership for this type of group. Users cannot request
to join or leave a company-managed group.
• User-managed groups
Admins can choose whether users can create and manage their own groups. Admins can also change a
user-managed group to a company-managed group at any time to take control of it.
• Restricting multiple accounts on computers
Admins can block team members from linking a second Dropbox account to computers that are
linked to their work Dropbox account.
• Sharing permissions
Team admins have comprehensive control of their team’s sharing abilities using Dropbox,
including:
• Whether team members can share files and folders with people outside the team
• Whether team members can edit folders owned by people outside the team
• Whether shared links created by team members will work for people outside the team
• Whether team members can create file requests and collect files from team members and/or people
outside the team
• Whether people can view and make comments on files owned by the team
• Whether team members can share Paper docs and Paper folders outside of the team
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• Team folders for files
Admins can create team folders that automatically give groups and other collaborators the correct
access level (view or edit) to the content they need.
• Granular access and sharing controls
Sharing controls let admins manage membership and permissions at the top level or sub-folder level so
that people and groups inside and outside the company have access to specific folders only.
• Team folder manager
Admins can view all their team folders and customize sharing policies from a central place to help prevent
mis-sharing of confidential materials.
• Shared folders for Paper docs
Admins can create shared Paper folders that automatically give other collaborators the correct
access level (comment or edit) to the content they need.
• Permanently delete permissions
The team admin of a Dropbox Business account can limit the ability to permanently delete files
and Paper docs to team admins only.
• Web session control
Admins can control how long team members can stay signed into dropbox.com. Admins can
limit the duration of all web sessions and/or sessions that are idle. Sessions reaching these
limits will be signed out automatically. Admins can also track and terminate the web sessions
of individual users.
• App access
Admins have the ability to view and revoke third-party app access to user accounts.
• Unlink devices
Computers and mobile devices connected to user accounts can be unlinked by the admin through
the Admin Console or the user through individual account security settings. On computers,
unlinking removes authentication data and provides the option to delete local copies of files the
next time the computer comes online (see Remote wipe). On mobile devices, unlinking removes
files marked as favorites, cached data, and login information. Unlinking also removes oline
Paper docs from the Paper mobile application. If two-step verification is enabled, users must
re-authenticate any device upon relinking. Additionally, users’ account settings provide the option
to send a notification email automatically when any devices are linked.
• Remote wipe
When employees leave the team or in the event of device loss, admins can remotely delete
Dropbox data and local copies of files. Files will be removed from both computers and mobile
devices when they come online and the Dropbox application is running.
• Account transfer
After deprovisioning a user (either manually or via directory services), admins can transfer files
and ownership of Paper docs created by the former team member from that user’s account to
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another user on the team. The account transfer feature can be used while removing a user or at
any time after deleting a user’s account.
• Suspended user state
Admins have the ability to disable a user’s access to their account while preserving their data
and sharing relationships to keep company information safe. Admins can later reactivate or delete
the account.
• Sign in as user
Team admins can sign in as members of their teams. This gives admins direct access to the
files, folders, and Paper docs in team member accounts so that they can make changes, share
on behalf of team members, or conduct audits of file-level events. “Sign in as user” events are
recorded in the team’s activity log, and admins can determine whether members are notified of
these events.
• Network control
Admins of Dropbox Business teams on an Enterprise plan can restrict Dropbox usage on the
company network to only the Enterprise team account. This feature integrates with the company’s
network security provider to block any traic that exists outside of the sanctioned account on
computers with a specified registry key. Please note that Paper is not currently managed through
network control.
• Enterprise mobility management (EMM)
Dropbox integrates with third-party EMM providers to give admins of Dropbox Business teams on
an Enterprise plan more control over how team members use Dropbox on mobile devices. Admins
can restrict mobile app usage for Dropbox Enterprise accounts to just managed devices (whether
company-provided or personal), gain visibility into app usage (including available storage and
access locations), and remote wipe a lost or stolen device. Please note that the Paper mobile app
is not manageable by EMM.
• Device approvals
Dropbox enables admins of Dropbox Education and Dropbox Business teams on the Advanced
and Enterprise plans to set limits on the number of devices that a user can sync with Dropbox,
and to choose whether approvals are user-managed or admin-managed. Admins can also create
an exception list of users that are not restricted to a certain number of devices. Please note that
the Paper mobile app is not included in device approvals.
Visibility
• Activity feed
Dropbox Business records user and admin actions in the team’s activity feed, which can be
accessed from the Admin Console. The activity feed oers flexible filtering options that enable
admins to conduct targeted investigations of account, file, or Paper doc activity. For example,
they can view the full history of a file or Paper doc and how users have interacted with it, or
view all activity for the team over a specified time period. The activity feed can be exported as a
downloadable report in CSV format and also integrated directly into a SIEM (security information
and event management) product or other analysis tool through third-party partner solutions. The
following events are recorded in the activity feed:
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 17
• Logins
Successful and failed logins to Dropbox
• Successful or failed login attempt
• Failed login attempt or error via single sign-on (SSO)
• Failed login attempt or error via EMM
• Logged out
• Change of IP address for web session
• Passwords
Changes to password or two-step verification settings. Admins do not have visibility into users’ actual
passwords.
• Changed or reset password
• Enabled, reset, or disabled two-step verification
• Set up or changed two-step verification to use SMS or a mobile app
• Added, edited, or removed a backup phone for two-step verification
• Added or removed a security key for two-step verification
• Membership
Additions to and removals from the team
• Invited a team member
• Joined the team
• Removed a team member
• Suspended or unsuspended a team member
• Recovered a removed team member
• Requested to join the team based on account domain
• Approved or declined a request to join the team based on account domain
• Sent domain invites to existing domain accounts
• User joined the team in response to account capture
• User left domain in response to account capture
• Blocked or unblocked team members from suggesting new team members
• Suggested a new team member
• Apps
Linking of third-party apps to Dropbox accounts
• Authorized or removed an application
• Authorized or removed a team application
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• Devices
Linking of computers or mobile devices to Dropbox accounts
• Linked or unlinked a device
• Used remote wipe and successfully deleted all files or failed to delete some files
• Change of IP address for desktop computer or mobile device
• Admin actions
Changes to settings in the Admin Console, such as shared folder permissions
Authentication and single sign-on (SSO)
• Reset team member’s password
• Reset all team members’ passwords
• Blocked or unblocked team members from disabling two-step verification
• Enabled or disabled SSO
• Made sign-in via SSO required
• Changed or removed the SSO URL
• Updated the SSO certificate
• Changed the SSO identity mode
Membership
• Blocked or unblocked users from requesting to join the team based on account domain
• Set team membership requests to be automatically approved or require manual admin approval
Member account management
• Changed a team member’s name
• Changed a team member’s email address
• Gave or removed admin status, or changed the admin role
• Signed in or signed out as a team member
• Transferred or deleted the contents of a removed member’s account
• Permanently deleted the contents of a removed member’s account
Global sharing settings
• Blocked or unblocked team members from adding shared folders owned by non-team members
• Blocked or unblocked team members from sharing folders with non-team members
• Turned on warnings that are shown to users before they share folders with non-team members
• Blocked or unblocked non-team members from viewing shared links
• Set shared links to be team-only by default
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 19
• Blocked or unblocked people from making comments on files
• Blocked or unblocked team members from creating file requests
• Added, changed, or removed a logo for shared link pages
• Blocked or unblocked team members from sharing Paper docs and Paper folders with non-team members
Team folder management for files
• Created a team folder
• Renamed a team folder
• Archived or unarchived a team folder
• Permanently deleted a team folder
• Downgraded a team folder to a shared folder
Domain management
• Attempted to verify or successfully verified a domain, or removed a domain
• Dropbox Support verified or removed a domain
• Enabled or disabled sending domain invites
• Turned on or o “Automatically invite new users”
• Changed account capture mode
• Dropbox Support granted or revoked account capture
Enterprise mobility management (EMM)
• Enabled EMM for test (optional) mode or deploy (required) mode
• Refreshed EMM token
• Added or removed team members from EMM excluded users list
• Disabled EMM
• Created an EMM exception list report
• Created an EMM mobile app usage report
Changes to other team settings
• Merged teams
• Upgraded the team to Dropbox Business or downgraded to a free team
• Changed the team name
• Created a team activity report
• Blocked or unblocked team members from having more than one account linked to a computer
• Allowed all team members or only admins to create groups
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 20
• Blocked or unblocked team members from permanently deleting files
• Started or ended a Dropbox Support session for a reseller
• Sharing for files, folders, and links
Where applicable, reports specify whether actions involved people outside the team.
Shared files
• Added or removed a team member or non-team member
• Changed the permissions for a team member or non-team member
• Added or removed a group
• Added a shared file to the user’s Dropbox
• Viewed the content of a file that was shared via a file or folder invitation
• Copied shared content to the user’s Dropbox
• Downloaded shared content
• Commented on a file
• Resolved or unresolved a comment
• Deleted a comment
• Subscribed or unsubscribed to comment notifications
• Claimed an invitation to a file owned by the team
• Requested access to a file owned by the team
• Unshared a file
Shared folders
• Created a new shared folder
• Added or removed a team member, non-team member, or group
• Added a shared folder to the user’s Dropbox, or user removed their own access to a shared folder
• Added a shared folder from a link
• Changed the permissions of a team member or non-team member
• Transferred folder ownership to another user
• Unshared a folder
• Claimed membership to a shared folder
• Requested access to a shared folder
• Added requesting user to a shared folder
• Blocked or unblocked non-team members from being added to a folder
• Allowed any team member to add people to a folder or only the owner
• Changed group access to a shared folder
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 21
Shared links
• Created or removed a link
• Made the contents of a link visible to anyone with the link or team members only
• Made the contents of a link password protected
• Set or removed an expiration for a link
• Viewed a link
• Downloaded the contents of a link
• Copied the contents of a link to the user’s Dropbox
• Created a link to a file via an API app
• Shared a link with a team member, non-team member, or group
• Blocked or unblocked non-team members from viewing links to files in a shared folder
• Shared an album
File requests
• Created, changed, or closed a file request
• Added users to a file request
• Added or removed a file request deadline
• Changed a file request folder
• Received files via a file request
• Groups
Creation, deletion, and membership information for groups
• Created, renamed, moved, or deleted a group
• Added or removed a member
• Changed a group member’s access type
• Changed group to team-managed or admin-managed
• Changed the external ID of a group
• File events
Individual file and folder events
• Added a file to Dropbox
• Created a folder
• Viewed a file
• Edited a file
• Downloaded a file
• Copied a file or folder
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 22
• Moved a file or folder
• Renamed a file or folder
• Reverted a file to a previous version
• Rolled back changes in files
• Restored a deleted file
• Deleted a file or folder
• Permanently deleted a file or folder
• Paper activity log
Admins can select a type of Paper activity on the Activity feed or download a full activity report.
Paper events are recorded for:
• Paper enabled or disabled
• Paper doc creation, editing, exporting, archiving, permanent deletion, and restoration
• Paper doc commenting and resolution of comments
• Paper doc shared and unshared with team members and non-team members
• Paper doc access requests from team members and non-team members
• Paper doc mentions for team members and non-team members
• Paper doc viewed by team members and non-team members
• Paper doc followed
• Paper doc member permission changes (edit, comment, or view only)
• Paper doc external sharing policy changes
• Paper folder creation, archiving, and permanent deletion
• Paper doc added to or removed from a folder
• Paper folder renamed
• Paper doc and folder transfers
• Technical support identity verification
Before any troubleshooting or account information is provided by Dropbox Support, the account
admin must provide a one-time use, randomly-generated security code to validate his or her
identity. This PIN is only available through the Admin Console.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 23
User management features
Dropbox Business also includes tools for end users to further protect their accounts and data. The
authentication, recovery, logging, and other security features below are available through the various
Dropbox user interfaces.
Recovery and version control
All Dropbox Business customers have the ability to restore deleted files and Paper docs, as well as
recover previous versions of files and Paper docs, ensuring changes to important data can be tracked
and retrieved.
Two-step verification
This highly recommended security feature adds an extra layer of protection to a user’s Dropbox
account. Once two-step verification is enabled, Dropbox will require a six-digit security code in
addition to a password upon sign-in or when linking a new computer, phone, or tablet.
• Admins can choose to require two-step verification for all team members or just specific
members.
• Account administrators can track which team members have two-step verification enabled.
• Dropbox two-step authentication codes can be received via text message or apps which conform
to the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) algorithm standard.
• In the event a user cannot receive security codes via these methods, they may opt to use a
16-digit, one-time-use emergency backup code. Alternately, they may use a secondary phone
number to receive a backup code via text message.
• Dropbox also supports the open standard FIDO Universal 2nd Factor (U2F), which enables users
to authenticate with a USB security key they’ve set up rather than a six-digit code.
User account activity
Each user can view the following pages from their account settings to obtain up-to-date information
regarding their own account activity:
• Sharing page
This page shows the shared folders that are currently in the user’s Dropbox, as well as shared
folders the user can add. A user can unshare folders and files and set sharing permissions
(described below).
• Files page
This page shows the files that have been shared with the user and the date each file was shared.
The user has the option to remove their access to these files. To see Paper docs that have been
shared with the user by others, the user can navigate to the “Shared with me” page within the
Paper doc navigation interface.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 24
• Links page
This page shows all active shared links that the user has created and the creation date for each.
It also shows all links shared with the user by others. The user can disable links or change
permissions (described below).
• Email notifications
A user can opt in to receive an email notification immediately when a new device or app is linked
to their Dropbox account.
User account permissions
• Linked devices
The Devices section of a user’s account security settings displays all computers and mobile
devices linked to the user’s account. For each computer, the IP address, country, and approximate
time of most recent activity is displayed. A user can unlink any device, with the option to have files
on linked computers deleted the next time it comes online.
• Active web sessions
The Sessions section shows all web browsers currently logged into a user’s account. For each, the
IP address, country, and login time of the most recent session, as well as the approximate time
of most recent activity, is displayed. A user can terminate any session remotely from the user’s
account security settings.
• Linked apps
The Apps linked section provides a list of all third-party apps with access to a user’s account, and
the type of access each app holds. A user can revoke any app’s permission to access the user’s
Dropbox.
Mobile security
• Fingerprint scanning
Users can enable Touch ID or Face ID on iOS devices and Fingerprint unlock (where supported)
on Android devices as a method to unlock the Dropbox mobile app.
• Erase data
For additional security, a user can enable the option to erase all Dropbox data from the device
after 10 failed passcode attempts.
• Internal storage and oline files
By default, files are not stored on the internal storage of mobile devices. Dropbox mobile clients
feature the ability to save individual files and folders to the device for oline viewing. When a
device is unlinked from a Dropbox account, via either the mobile or web interface, those files and
folders are automatically deleted from the device’s internal storage.
• Oline Paper docs
When a device is unlinked from Paper, via the Dropbox account security page, the user is logged
out and oline Paper docs are automatically deleted from the device’s internal storage.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 25
Shared file and folder permissions
• Permissions for shared files
A team member who owns a shared file can remove access for specific users and disable
commenting for the file.
• Permissions for shared folders
A team member who owns a shared folder can remove folder access for specific users, change
view/edit permissions for specific users, and transfer folder ownership. Depending on the team’s
global sharing permissions, each shared folder’s owner may also be able to control whether it
can be shared with people outside the team, whether others with edit permissions can manage
membership, and whether links can be shared with people outside the folder.
• Passwords for shared links
Any shared link can be protected with an owner-defined password. Before any file or folder data
is transmitted, an access control layer verifies that the correct password has been submitted and
all other requirements (such as team, group, or folder ACL) have been met. If so, a secure cookie
is stored in the user’s browser to remember that the password was verified previously.
• Expirations for shared links
Users can set an expiration for any shared link to provide temporary access to files or folders.
Paper doc and shared Paper folder permissions
• Permissions for Paper docs and shared Paper folders
A team member who owns a Paper doc or shared Paper folder can remove access for specific
users and disable editing for the Paper doc.
• Permissions for Paper docs
A team member who owns a Paper doc can remove access for specific users who are explicitly
listed in the share panel. Both the owner and editors of a Paper doc can change view/edit
permissions for specific users as well as change the link policy of the doc. The link policy governs
which users can open the doc and the permission that is granted to them. The team admin can
set a team-wide link policy setting and doc sharing policy.
• Permissions for Paper folders
A team member who is a member of the folder can change the sharing policy of the folder and
remove access for specific users that were explicitly added to the folder.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 26
Dropbox Business API integrations
Through the Dropbox Business API and our partners, you can add additional security tools to
manage your data and accounts:
• Security information and event management (SIEM) and analytics
Connect your Dropbox Business account to SIEM and analytics tools to monitor and evaluate user
sharing, sign-in attempts, admin actions, and more. Access and manage employee activity logs
and security-relevant data through your central log management tool.
• Data loss prevention (DLP)
Automatically scan file metadata and content to trigger alerts, reporting, and actions when
important changes are made in your Dropbox Business account. Apply company policies to your
Dropbox Business deployment and help meet regulatory compliance requirements.
• eDiscovery and legal hold
Respond to litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations with data from your Dropbox
Business account. Search for and collect relevant electronically stored information, and preserve
your data through the eDiscovery process, saving your business time and money.
• Digital rights management (DRM)
Add third-party content protection for sensitive or copyrighted data stored in employee accounts.
Gain access to powerful DRM features including client-side encryption, watermarking, audit trails,
access revocation, and user/device blocking.
• Data migration and on-premises backup
Migrate data to Dropbox from existing servers or other cloud-based solutions, saving time, money,
and eort. Automate backups from your Dropbox Business account to on-prem servers.
• Identity management and single sign-on (SSO)
Automate the provisioning and deprovisioning process and speed up onboarding for new
employees. Streamline management and bolster security by integrating Dropbox Business with
an existing identity system.
• Custom workflows
Build in-house apps that integrate Dropbox into existing business processes to enhance their
internal workflows.
By giving developers access to the team-level functionality of Dropbox Business, admins are
empowered to deploy and manage business-critical applications for their team. It’s especially useful
for enterprise customers, as Dropbox Business now fits even more seamlessly into their existing
third-party solutions. See the Apps for Dropbox section below for more information on the Dropbox
Business API.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 27
Application security
Dropbox user interfaces
The Dropbox service can be utilized and accessed through a number of interfaces. Each has security
settings and features that process and protect user data while ensuring ease of access.
• Web
This interface can be accessed through any modern web browser. It allows users to upload,
download, view, and share their files. The web interface also allows users to open existing local
versions of files through their computer’s default application.
• Desktop
The Dropbox desktop application is a powerful sync client that stores files locally for oline
access. It gives users full access to their Dropbox accounts, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux
operating systems. Files are viewed and can be shared directly within the operating systems’
respective file browsers.
• Mobile
The Dropbox app is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Kindle Fire smartphones and
tablets, allowing users to access all their files on the go. The mobile app also enables users to
make files available for oline access.
• API
Dropbox APIs provide a flexible way to read and write to Dropbox user accounts as well as access
to advanced functionality like search, revisions, and restoring files. The APIs can be used to
manage the user lifecycle for a Dropbox Business account, perform actions on all members of a
team, and enable access to Dropbox Business admin functionality.
Paper user interfaces
The Paper service can be utilized and accessed through a number of interfaces. Each has security
settings and features that process and protect user data while ensuring ease of access.
• Web
This interface can be accessed through any modern web browser. It allows users to create, view,
edit, download, and share their Paper docs.
• Mobile
The Paper mobile application is available for iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets,
allowing users to access all their Paper docs on the go. The mobile application is built as a hybrid
application consisting of native code (iOS or Android) wrapped around an internal webview
browser.
• API
The Dropbox API described above contains endpoints and data types for managing documents
and folders in Dropbox Paper, including support for functionality such as permissions
management, archive, and permanent deletion.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 28
Encryption
Data in transit
To protect data in transit between Dropbox apps and our servers, Dropbox uses Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) for data transfer, creating a secure tunnel protected
by 128-bit or higher Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption. File data in transit between
a Dropbox client (currently desktop, mobile, API, or web) and the hosted service is encrypted via
SSL/TLS. Similarly, Paper doc data in transit between a Paper client (currently mobile, API, or web)
and the hosted services is encrypted via SSL/TLS. For endpoints we control (desktop and mobile)
and modern browsers, we use strong ciphers and support perfect forward secrecy and certificate
pinning. Additionally, on the web we flag all authentication cookies as secure and enable HTTP Strict
Transport Security (HSTS) with includeSubDomains enabled.
Note: Dropbox uses TLS exclusively and has deprecated the use of SSLv3 due to known
vulnerabilities. However, TLS is frequently referred to as “SSL/TLS,” so we use that
designation here.
To prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, authentication of Dropbox front-end servers is performed
through public certificates held by the client. An encrypted connection is negotiated before the
transfer of any files or Paper docs and ensures secure delivery to Dropbox front-end servers.
Data at rest
Dropbox files uploaded by users are encrypted at rest using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES). Files are stored in multiple data centers in discrete file blocks. Each block is fragmented
and encrypted using a strong cipher. Only blocks that have been modified between revisions are
synchronized. Paper docs at rest are also encrypted using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES). Paper docs are stored across multiple availability zones using third-party systems.
Key management
The Dropbox key management infrastructure is designed with operational, technical, and procedural
security controls with very limited direct access to keys. Encryption key generation, exchange, and
storage is distributed for decentralized processing.
• File encryption keys
By design, Dropbox manages file encryption keys on users’ behalf to remove complexity, enable
advanced product features and strong cryptographic control. File encryption keys are created,
stored and protected by production system infrastructure security controls and security policies.
• Internal SSH keys
Access to production systems is restricted with unique SSH key pairs. Security policies and
procedures require protection of SSH keys. An internal system manages the secure public key
exchange process, and private keys are stored securely. Internal SSH keys cannot be used to
access production systems without a separate second factor for authentication.
• Key distribution
Dropbox automates the management and distribution of sensitive keys to systems that are
required for operations.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 29
Certificate pinning
Dropbox does certificate pinning in modern browsers that support the HTTP Public Key Pinning
specification, and on our desktop and mobile clients in most scenarios and implementations.
Certificate pinning is an extra check to make sure that the service you’re connecting to is really who
they say they are, and not an imposter. We use it to guard against other ways that skilled hackers
may try to spy on your activity.
Protecting authentication data
Dropbox goes beyond regular hashing to protect the login credentials of users. In keeping with
industry best practices, each password is salted with a randomly generated, unique per-user salt,
and we use iterative hashing to slow down computation. These practices help protect against
brute force, dictionary, and rainbow attacks. As an added precaution, we encrypt the hashes with
a key stored separately from the database, which helps to keep passwords secure in the event of a
database-only compromise.
Malware scanning
We’ve developed an automated scanning system that’s designed to stop malware from being spread
through Dropbox’s shared link feature. The system leverages both proprietary technology and
industry-standard detection engines.
Apps for Dropbox
The DBX Platform is composed of a robust ecosystem of developers who build on top of our flexible
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). More than 500,000 developers have built applications
and services on the platform for productivity, collaboration, security, administration, and more.
Dropbox API
The Dropbox API allows developers to oer users in-app access to Dropbox files and works as a
flexible way to read and write to Dropbox. Auth, file, and metadata interaction; shared file, folder, and
link interaction; Paper doc and Paper folder interaction; and file operations are all handled through
the Dropbox API.
Apps using the Dropbox API can be built with one of the following permissions levels:
• App folder
A dedicated folder named after the app is created within the Apps folder of a user’s Dropbox. The
app receives read and write access to this folder only and users can provide content to the app by
moving files into this folder. In addition, the app may request file/folder access via the Chooser or
Saver (see below).
• Full Dropbox
The app receives full access to all the files and folders in a user’s Dropbox, and may also request
file/folder access via the Chooser or Saver (see below).
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 30
Chooser and Saver
The Chooser and the Saver allow easy access to Dropbox with just a few lines of code. The Chooser
enables selection of files from Dropbox, while the Saver allows users to save files directly to Dropbox.
In essence, they take the place of traditional Open and Save dialog boxes, and restrict an app’s
access to only the files and/or folders the user specifically selects on a one-o basis.
Dropbox uses OAuth, an industry-standard protocol for authorization, to allow users to grant apps
account access without exposing their account credentials. We support OAuth 2.0 for authenticating
API requests; requests are authenticated through the Dropbox website or mobile app.
Webhooks
Webhooks are a way for web apps to get real-time notifications about changes in a user’s Dropbox.
Once a URI is registered to receive webhooks, an HTTP request will be sent to that URI every time
there’s a change for any of the app’s registered users. Using the Dropbox Business API (described
below), webhooks can also be used to generate notifications about changes to team membership.
Many security apps use webhooks to help admins track and manage team activities.
Dropbox Business API
The Dropbox Business API allows apps to manage entire Dropbox Business accounts and perform
Dropbox API actions on all members of a team. It gives apps programmatic access to Dropbox
Business admin functionality.
In addition to Dropbox API calls, the Dropbox Business API features additional endpoints designed
specifically for businesses. These include endpoints for auditing, as well as user and group
management.
App permission types
There are four dierent types of Dropbox Business API permissions, with varying level of access to
team and user data. Developers should only request access to the minimum set of permissions that
their apps require:
• Team information
Information about the team and aggregate usage data
• Team auditing
Team information, plus the team’s detailed activity log
• Team member file access
Team information and auditing, plus the ability to perform any action as any team member
• Team member management
Team information, plus the ability to add, edit, and delete team members
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 31
Like the Dropbox API, the Dropbox Business API uses OAuth 2.0 for authenticating API requests.
Dropbox Business API OAuth tokens can enable extensive access to account data. The OAuth
response will include an additional team_id field. It’s the developer’s responsibility to properly
secure the OAuth tokens server-side, and ensure they are not cached in insecure environments or
downloaded to client devices. Developers will need to direct a Dropbox Business team admin through
the standard OAuth 2.0 flow to install their application on a Dropbox Business account.
For more information on Dropbox APIs, visit dropbox.com/developers.
Dropbox developer guidelines
We provide a number of guidelines and practices to help developers create API apps that respect and
protect user privacy while enhancing users’ Dropbox experience.
• App keys
For each distinct app a developer writes, a unique Dropbox app key must be used. In addition,
if an app provides services or software that wrap the DBX Platform for other developers to use,
each developer must also sign up for their own Dropbox app key.
• App permissions
Developers are instructed that an app should use the least privileged permission it can. When a
developer submits an app for production status approval, we review that the app doesn’t request
an unnecessarily broad permission based on the functionality provided by the app.
• App review process
• Development status
When a Dropbox API app is first created, it is given development status. The app functions the same as
any production status app, except that it can only be linked with up to 500 total Dropbox users. Once
an app links 50 Dropbox users, the developer has two weeks to apply for and receive production status
approval before the app’s ability to link additional Dropbox users will be frozen.
• Production status and approval
In order to receive production status approval, apps must adhere to our developer branding guidelines and
Terms & Conditions, which include prohibited uses of the DBX Platform. These uses include: promoting
IP or copyright infringement, creating file sharing networks, and downloading content illegally. Developers
are first prompted for additional information regarding their app’s functionality, and how it uses the
Dropbox API before submitting for review. Once the app is approved for production status, any number of
Dropbox users can link to the app.
API partnerships
Dropbox has worked closely with our partners to develop integrations with popular software
packages. These integrations enable access to data in Dropbox within their interfaces, creating a
seamless and secure experience for end users of both services.
• Microsoft Oice for mobile and web
Our Microsoft Oice integrations allow users to open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files stored in
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 32
their Dropbox; make changes in the Oice mobile or web apps; and save those changes directly
back to Dropbox. Users are prompted to grant access on the first attempt to open a Dropbox file
in each Oice mobile app or any Oice web app. Subsequent launches will retain these links.
• Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader
Our integrations with the desktop and mobile (Android and iOS) versions of these apps enable
users to view, edit, and share PDFs stored in their Dropbox. Users are prompted to grant access
on the first attempt to open a Dropbox file in each app. Changes to PDFs are saved back to
Dropbox automatically.
• AutoCAD
Dropbox has partnered with Autodesk to enable professionals and teams to open AutoCAD
project files stored in Dropbox and save back seamlessly to Dropbox without leaving the AutoCAD
desktop application. Users are prompted to grant access on the first attempt to open a Dropbox
file in the AutoCAD application.
Network security
Dropbox diligently maintains the security of our back-end network. Our network security and
monitoring techniques are designed to provide multiple layers of protection and defense. We employ
industry-standard protection techniques, including firewalls, network vulnerability scanning, network
security monitoring, and intrusion detection systems to ensure only eligible and non-malicious traic
is able to reach our infrastructure.
Our internal private network is segmented according to use and risk level. The primary networks are:
• Internet-facing DMZ
• Priority infrastructure DMZ
• Production network
• Corporate network
Access to the production environment is restricted to only authorized IP addresses and requires
multi-factor authentication on all endpoints. IP addresses with access are associated with the
corporate network or approved Dropbox personnel. Authorized IP addresses are reviewed on a
quarterly basis to ensure a secure production environment. Access to modify the IP address list is
restricted to authorized individuals.
Traic from the internet destined to our production network is protected using multiple layers of
firewalls and proxies.
Strict limitation is maintained between the internal Dropbox network and the public internet.
Internet-bound traic to and from the production network is carefully controlled through a dedicated
proxy service and those, in turn, are protected by restrictive firewall rules.
Dropbox instruments sophisticated tool sets to monitor laptops and desktops with Mac and
Windows operating systems and production systems for malicious events. All security logs are
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 33
collected in a centralized location for forensic and incident response following the industry standard
retention policy.
Dropbox identifies and mitigates risks via regular network security testing and auditing by both
dedicated internal security teams and third-party security specialists.
Points of presence (PoPs)
To optimize website performance for users, Dropbox leverages third-party content delivery networks
(CDNs) and Dropbox-hosted points of presence (PoPs) in 20 locations around the world. No user
data is cached at these locations, and all user data being transferred is encrypted with SSL/TLS.
Physical and logical access to Dropbox-hosted PoPs are restricted to authorized Dropbox personnel
only. Dropbox performs optimizations at both the transport (TCP) layer and the application (HTTP)
layer.
Peering
Dropbox has an open peering policy, and all customers are welcome to peer with us. For details,
please see dropbox.com/peering.
Vulnerability management
Our security team performs automated and manual application security testing and works with
third-party specialists on a regular basis to identify and patch potential security vulnerabilities
and bugs.
The input from these activities is assessed by Security personnel, and priorities are assigned to
items as assessed by the Security team. As a necessary component of our information security
management system, findings and recommendations that result from all of these assessment
activities are reported to Dropbox management, evaluated, and appropriate action is taken, as
determined to be necessary. High-severity items are documented, tracked, and resolved by assigned
security engineers.
Change management
A formal Change Management Policy has been defined by the Dropbox Engineering team to
ensure that application changes have been authorized prior to implementation into the production
environments. Source code changes are initiated by developers that would like to make an
enhancement to the Dropbox application or service. Changes are stored in a version control system
and are required to go through automated Quality Assurance (QA) testing procedures to verify that
security requirements are met. Successful completion of QA procedures leads to implementation of
the change. QA-approved changes are automatically implemented in the production environment.
Our software development lifecycle (SDLC) requires adherence to secure coding guidelines, as well
as screening of code changes for potential security issues via our QA and manual review processes.
Changes released into production are logged and archived, and alerts are sent to Dropbox
Engineering team management automatically.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 34
Changes to Dropbox infrastructure are restricted to authorized personnel only. The Dropbox Security
team is responsible for maintaining infrastructure security and ensuring that server, firewall, and
other security-related configurations are kept up-to-date with industry standards. Firewall rule sets
and individuals with access to production servers are reviewed on a periodic basis.
Scanning and security penetration testing (internal and external)
Our security team performs automated and manual application security testing on a regular basis
to identify and patch potential security vulnerabilities and bugs on our desktop, web (Dropbox and
Paper), and mobile (Dropbox and Paper) applications.
Additionally, Dropbox contracts with third-party vendors to perform periodic penetration and
vulnerability tests on the corporate and production environments. We work with third-party
specialists, other industry security teams, and the security research community to keep our
applications secure.
We also look for vulnerabilities through automatic analysis systems. This includes systems we
develop internally, open source systems we modify for our needs, and external vendors we hire for
continuous automated analysis.
Bug bounties
While we work with professional firms for pentesting engagements and do our own testing in-house,
bug bounties (or vulnerability rewards programs) tap into the expertise of the broader security
community. Our bug bounty program provides an incentive for researchers to responsibly disclose
software bugs and centralize reporting streams. This involvement of the external community
provides our security team with independent scrutiny of our applications to help keep users safe. We
strive to be among the industry leaders in bounty rewards, as well as response and fix times.
We’ve established a scope for eligible submissions and Dropbox applications, as well as a
responsible disclosure policy that promotes the discovery and reporting of security vulnerabilities
and increase user safety. This policy sets forth the following guidelines:
• Share the security issue with us in detail
• Give us reasonable time to respond before making any information about the security issue public
• Do not access or modify user data without permission of the account owner
• Act in good faith not to degrade the performance of our services (including denial of service)
Issues can be reported by submitting a report to HackerOne at hackerone.com/dropbox.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 35
Dropbox information security
Dropbox has established an information security management framework describing the purpose,
direction, principles, and basic rules for how we maintain trust. This is accomplished by assessing
risks and continually improving the security, confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy of
the Dropbox Business systems. We regularly review and update security policies, provide security
training, perform application and network security testing (including penetration testing), monitor
compliance with security policies, and conduct internal and external risk assessments.
Our policies
We’ve established a thorough set of security policies covering the areas of Information security,
User data privacy, Physical security, Incident response, Business continuity, Logical access, Physical
production access, Change management, and Sales and Customer Experience. These policies are
reviewed and approved at least annually, and are enforced by the Dropbox security team. Employees,
interns, and contractors participate in mandatory security training when joining the company and
ongoing security awareness education.
• Information security
Policies pertaining to user and Dropbox information, with key areas including device security;
authentication requirements; data and systems security; user data privacy; restrictions on and
guidelines for employee use of resources; and handling of potential issues
• User data privacy
Our requirements for protecting and handling user information and user data at Dropbox in order
to adhere to our Privacy Policy
• Physical security
How we maintain a safe and secure environment for people and property at Dropbox (see Physical
security section below)
• Incident response
Our requirements for responding to potential security incidents, including assessment,
communication, and investigation procedures
• Logical access
Policies for securing Dropbox systems, user information, and Dropbox information, covering
access control to corporate and production environments
• Physical production access
Our procedures for restricting access to the physical production network, including management
review of personnel and de-authorization of terminated personnel
• Change management
Policies for code review and managing changes that impact security by authorized developers to
application source code, system configuration, and production releases
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 36
• Sales and Customer Experience
User metadata access policies for our support team regarding viewing, providing support for, or
taking action on accounts
• Business continuity
Policies and procedures for maintaining or restoring critical business functions in the event of a
disruption, from planning and documentation to execution
• Crisis management
Policies and procedures on how Dropbox would handle an extraordinary widespread event that
could disrupt our most important operations or threaten our strategic objectives
Employee policy and access
Upon hire, each Dropbox employee is required to complete a background check, sign a security
policy acknowledgement and non-disclosure agreement, and receive security training. Only
individuals that have completed these procedures are granted physical and logical access to the
corporate and production environments, as required by their job responsibilities. In addition, all
employees are required to complete annual security training, and they receive regular security
awareness training via informational emails, talks and presentations, and resources available on
our intranet.
Employee access to the Dropbox environment is maintained by a central directory and authenticated
using a combination of strong passwords, passphrase-protected SSH keys, two-factor
authentication, and OTP tokens. Remote access requires the use of VPN protected with two-factor
authentication, and any special access is reviewed and vetted by the security team.
Access to corporate and production networks is strictly limited based on defined policies. For
example, production network access is SSH key-based and restricted to engineering teams requiring
access as part of their duties. Firewall configuration is tightly controlled and limited to a small
number of administrators.
In addition, our internal policies require employees accessing production and corporate environments
to adhere to best practices for the creation and storage of SSH private keys.
Access to other resources, including data centers, server configuration utilities, production
servers, and source code development utilities is granted through explicit approval by appropriate
management. A record of the access request, justification, and approval are recorded by
management, and access is granted by appropriate individuals.
Dropbox employs technical access controls and internal policies to prohibit employees from
arbitrarily accessing user files and to restrict access to metadata and other information about
users’ accounts. In order to protect end user privacy and security, only a small number of engineers
responsible for developing core Dropbox services have access to the environment where user files
are stored. Employee access is promptly removed when an employee leaves the company.
As Dropbox becomes an extension of our customers’ infrastructure, they can rest assured that we are
responsible custodians of their data. See the Privacy section below for more details.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 37
Physical security
Infrastructure
Physical access to subservice organization facilities where production systems reside is restricted to
personnel authorized by Dropbox, as required to perform their job function. Any individuals requiring
additional access to production environment facilities are granted that access through explicit
approval by appropriate management.
A record of the access request, justification, and approval are recorded by management, and access
is granted by appropriate individuals. Once approval is received, an authorized member of the
infrastructure team will contact the appropriate subservice organization to request access for the
approved individual. The subservice organization enters the user’s information into their own system
and grants the approved Dropbox personnel badge access and, if possible, biometric scan access.
Once access is granted to approved individuals, it is the data center’s responsibility to ensure that
access is restricted to only those authorized individuals.
Corporate offices
• Physical security
The Dropbox Physical Security Team is responsible for enforcing physical security policy and
overseeing the security of our oices.
• Visitor and access policy
Physical access to corporate facilities, other than public entrances and lobbies, is restricted
to authorized Dropbox personnel and registered visitors who are accompanied by Dropbox
personnel. A badge access system ensures only authorized individuals have access to restricted
areas within the corporate facilities.
• Server access
Access to areas containing corporate servers and network equipment is restricted to authorized
personnel via elevated roles granted through the badge access system. The lists of authorized
individuals approved for physical access to corporate and production environments are reviewed
at least quarterly.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 38
Compliance
There are many dierent compliance standards and regulations that may apply to your organization.
Our approach is to combine the most accepted standards with compliance measures geared to the
specific needs of our customers’ businesses or industries.
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a series of world-class
standards for information and societal security to help organizations develop reliable and innovative
products and services. Dropbox has certified its data centers, systems, applications, people,
and processes through a series of audits by an independent third-party, Netherlands-based EY
CertifyPoint. EY CertifyPoint maintains its ISO accreditations from the Raad voor Accreditatie
(Dutch Accreditation Council).
ISO 27001 (Information Security)
ISO 27001 is recognized as the premier information security management system (ISMS) standard around
the world. The standard also leverages the security best practices detailed in ISO 27002. To be worthy of
your trust, we’re continually and comprehensively managing our physical, technical, and legal controls at
Dropbox.
View the Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education ISO 27001 certificate
ISO 27017 (Cloud Security)
ISO 27017 is an international standard for cloud security that provides guidelines for security controls
applicable to the provision and use of cloud services. Our Shared Responsibility Guide explains several of
the security, privacy, and compliance requirements that Dropbox and its customers can solve together.
View the Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education ISO 27017 certificate
ISO 27018 (Cloud Privacy and Data Protection)
ISO 27018 is an international standard for privacy and data protection that applies to cloud service
providers like Dropbox who process personal information on behalf of their customers and provides a basis
for which customers can address common regulatory and contractual requirements or questions.
View the Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education ISO 27018 certificate
ISO 22301 (Business Continuity)
ISO 22301 is an international standard for business continuity that guides organizations on how
to decrease the probability of disruptive events and respond to them appropriately if they occur by
minimizing potential damage. The Dropbox business continuity management system (BCMS) is part of our
overall risk management strategy to protect people and operations during times of crises.
View the Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education ISO 22301 certificate
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 39
SOC
Service Organization Controls (SOC) Reports, known as SOC 1, SOC 2, or SOC 3, are frameworks
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for reporting
on internal controls implemented within an organization. Dropbox has validated its systems,
applications, people, and processes through a series of audits by an independent third-party auditor,
Ernst & Young LLP.
SOC 3 for Security, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, and Privacy
The SOC 3 assurance report covers all five Trust Service Principles of Security, Confidentiality, Integrity,
Availability, and Privacy (TSP Section 100). The Dropbox general-use report is an executive summary of
the SOC 2 report and includes the independent third-party auditor’s opinion on the eective design and
operation of our controls.
View the Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education SOC 3 examination
SOC 2 for Security, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, and Privacy
The SOC 2 report provides customers with a detailed level of controls-based assurance, covering all five
Trust Service Principles of Security, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Availability, and Privacy (TSP
Section 100). The SOC 2 report includes a detailed description of Dropbox’s processes and more than
100 controls in place to protect your stu. In addition to our independent third-party auditor’s opinion on
the eective design and operation of our controls, the report includes the auditor’s test procedures and
results for each control. Our SOC 2 report (sometimes referred to as a SOC 2+ report) also includes an
audited mapping of our controls to the ISO standards mentioned above, providing additional transparency
to our customers. The SOC 2 examination for Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education is available upon
request.
SOC 1 / SSAE 18 / ISAE 3402 (formerly SSAE 16 or SAS 70)
The SOC 1 report provides specific assurances for customers who determine that Dropbox Business or
Dropbox Education is a key element of their internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) program.
These specific assurances are primarily used for our customers’ Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance. The
independent third-party audit is conducted in accordance with the Statement on Standards for Attestation
Engagements No. 18 (SSAE 18) and the International Standard on Assurance Engagements No. 3402
(ISAE 3402). These standards have replaced the deprecated Statement on Standards for Attestation
Engagement No. 16 (SSAE16) and Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS 70). The SOC 1
examination for Dropbox Business and Education is available upon request.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 40
Cloud Security Alliance: Security, Trust, and Assurance Registry (CSA STAR)
The CSA Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR) is a free, publicly-accessible registry that oers a
security assurance program for cloud services, thereby helping users assess the security posture of cloud
providers they currently use or are considering contracting with.
Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education have received the CSA STAR Level 2 Certification and Level
2 Attestation. CSA STAR Level 2 requires a third-party independent assessment of our security controls
by EY CertifyPoint (for Certification) and Ernst & Young LLP (for Attestation), based on the requirements
of ISO 27001, SOC 2 Trust Service Principles, and the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v.3.0.1.
Dropbox has also completed the CSA STAR Level 1 Self-Assessment for Dropbox Business and Dropbox
Education. The Self-Assessment is a rigorous survey based on CSA’s Consensus Assessments Initiative
Questionnaire (CAIQ), which aligns with the CCM, and provides answers to almost 300 questions a cloud
customer or a cloud security auditor may wish to ask.
View our CSA STAR Level 1 Self-Assessment and Level 2 Certification and Attestation on the CSA
website
HIPAA/HITECH
Dropbox will sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with Dropbox Business or Dropbox Education
customers who require them in order to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH).
Dropbox makes available a third-party assurance report evaluating our controls for the HIPAA/HITECH
Security, Privacy, and Breach Notification rules, as well as a mapping of our internal practices and
recommendations for customers who are looking to meet the HIPAA/HITECH Security and Privacy Rule
requirements with Dropbox Business or Dropbox Education.
Customers interested in requesting these documents or learning more about purchasing Dropbox
Business or Dropbox Education can reach out to our sales team. If you’re currently a Dropbox Business or
Dropbox Education team admin, you can sign a BAA electronically from the Account page in the Admin
Console. For more details, see our Getting Started with HIPAA guide.
Please note that the ability to sign an electronic BAA via the Admin Console is available only to US-based
customers.
Germany BSI C5 Attestation Report
The Cloud Computing Compliance Controls Catalog (C5) is a framework established by the
German Federal Oice for Security in Information Technology (Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der
Informationstechnik - BSI) for reporting on security controls applicable to the provision of cloud services.
The C5 attestation helps organizations with demonstrating their information security practices conform
with BSI’s “Security Recommendations for Cloud Providers.” C5 builds upon existing international security
standards such as ISO 27001 and CSA STAR. In order to receive the C5 attestation report, Dropbox’s
systems, processes, and controls were validated by an independent, Germany-based, third-party auditor,
Ernst & Young GmbH. The independent audit is conducted in accordance with the International Standard
on Assurance Engagements No. 3000 (ISAE 3000).
The report includes a detailed description of Dropbox’ system, applications, processes, and controls, as
well as our independent auditor’ test procedures and results for each control. The C5 report for Dropbox
Business and Dropbox Education is available upon request.
Please note that Dropbox Paper is not included in the scope of the C5 report.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 41
Students and Children (FERPA and COPPA)
Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education allows customers to use the services in compliance with the
vendor obligations imposed by the US Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Educational
institutions with students under the age of 13 can also use Dropbox Business or Dropbox Education
consistent with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), provided that they agree to specific
contractual provisions requiring the institution to obtain parental consent regarding the use of our
services.
UK Digital Marketplace G-Cloud
Dropbox Business is listed in the United Kingdom (UK) Digital Marketplace for government cloud services
procurement. View our listings on the UK Digital Marketplace website for Dropbox Business Standard
Plan, Dropbox Business Advanced Plan, and Dropbox Enterprise Plan.
Please note that Dropbox Paper is not included in the UK Digital Marketplace G-Cloud listing.
PCI DSS
Dropbox is a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant merchant. However,
Dropbox Business, Dropbox Education, and Dropbox Paper are not meant to process or store credit card
transactions. The PCI Attestation of Compliance (AoC) for our merchant status is available upon request.
More information about Dropbox Business and Dropbox Education compliance
Visit dropbox.com/business/trust/compliance
Privacy
People and organizations trust Dropbox with their most important work every day, and it’s our
responsibility to protect this information and keep it private.
Privacy policy
Our privacy policy is available at dropbox.com/privacy. The Dropbox Privacy Policy, Business
Agreement, Terms of Service, and Acceptable Use Policy provide notice of the following terms:
• What kind of data we collect and why
• With whom we may share information
• How we protect this data and how long we retain it
• Where we keep and transmit your data
• What happens if the policy changes or if you have questions
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 42
ISO 27018
Dropbox Business was one of the first major cloud service providers to achieve certification with
ISO 27018—a global standard for privacy and data protection in the cloud. ISO 27018 was published
in August 2014 and was designed specifically to address user privacy and data protection. The
standard lays out many requirements regarding how Dropbox will and won’t use your organization’s
information:
• Your organization is in control of your data.
We only use the personal information you give us to provide you the services you signed up for.
You can add, modify, or delete files and Paper docs from Dropbox when you need to.
• We’ll be transparent about your data.
We’ll be transparent about where your data resides on our servers. We’ll also let you know who
our trusted partners are. We’ll tell you what happens when you close an account or delete a file or
Paper doc. Lastly, we’ll tell you if any of these things change.
• Your data is safe and secure.
ISO 27018 is designed as an enhancement to ISO 27001, one of the most accepted information
security standards in the world. We received ISO 27001 certification in October 2014, and the
requirements for security and privacy under ISO 27018—such as those around encryption and
strict employee access controls—go hand in hand.
• You can verify our practices.
As part of our adherence to ISO 27018 and ISO 27001, we will undergo annual audits by an
independent third party to maintain these certifications. You can view our ISO 27018 certificate here.
Transparency
Dropbox is committed to transparency in handling law enforcement requests for user information,
as well as the number and types of those requests. We scrutinize all data requests to make sure
they comply with the law and are committed to giving users notice, as permitted by law, when their
accounts are identified in a law enforcement request.
These eorts underscore our commitment to guarding the privacy of our users and their data. To
this end, we maintain a transparency report and have established a set of Government Request
Principles. The following principles govern our actions when receiving, scrutinizing, and responding
to government requests for our users’ data:
• Be transparent
We believe online services should be allowed to publish the number and types of government
requests received, and to notify individuals when information about them has been requested.
This type of transparency empowers users by helping them better understand instances and
patterns of government overreach. We will continue to publish detailed information about these
requests and advocate for the right to provide more of this important information.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 43
• Fight overly broad requests
Government data requests should be limited to specific people and legitimate investigations. We
will resist blanket and overly broad requests.
• Protect all users
Laws that give people dierent protections based on where they live or their citizenship are
antiquated and don’t reflect the global nature of online services. We will continue to advocate for
the reform of these laws.
• Provide trusted services
Governments should never install backdoors into online services or compromise infrastructure to
obtain user data. We will continue to work to protect our systems and to change laws to make it
clear that this type of activity is illegal.
Our transparency reports can be viewed at dropbox.com/transparency.
EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield
When transferring data from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland,
Dropbox relies upon a variety of legal mechanisms, including contracts with our users. Dropbox
complies with the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield frameworks as set forth by the U.S.
Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information
transferred from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland to the United
States. You can find Dropbox’s Privacy Shield certification at www.privacyshield.gov/list. You can
also learn more about Privacy Shield at www.privacyshield.gov.
Adhering to the Privacy Shield Principles ensures that an organization provides adequate privacy
protection under the EU data protection directive. Complaints and disputes related to our Privacy
Shield compliance are investigated and resolved through JAMS, an independent third party. To learn
more, please see our Privacy Policy (dropbox.com/privacy).
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, or GDPR, is a European Union regulation that
marks a significant change to the existing framework for processing personal data of individuals in
the EU. The GDPR introduces a series of new or enhanced requirements that will apply to companies
like Dropbox which handle personal data. It takes eect on 25 May 2018 and will replace the
current EU Directive 95/46 EC, better known as the Data Protection Directive. Like all responsible
companies, Dropbox is continuing to build and execute on our detailed GDPR compliance plans
and are on the way to full compliance in advance of 25 May 2018. For more information, please see
dropbox.com/security/GDPR.
For more information about our privacy practices and policies, please see the Dropbox Privacy and
Data Protection whitepaper.
Dropbox Business Security Whitepaper 44
Dropbox Trust Program
Trust is the foundation of our relationship with millions of people and businesses around the world.
We value the confidence you’ve put in us and take the responsibility of protecting your information
seriously. To be worthy of your trust, we built and will continue to grow Dropbox with an emphasis on
security, compliance, and privacy.
The Dropbox Trust Program policy establishes a risk assessment process, which is designed to
address environmental, physical, user, third party, applicable laws and regulations, contractual
requirements, and various other risks that may aect system security, confidentiality, integrity,
availability, or privacy. Performance reviews occur at least annually. More information about the
Dropbox Trust Program is available at dropbox.com/business/trust.
Summary
Dropbox Business oers easy-to-use tools to help teams collaborate eectively, while providing
the security measures and compliance certifications organizations require. With a multi-layered
approach that combines a robust back-end infrastructure with a customizable set of policies, we
provide businesses a powerful solution that can be tailored to their unique needs. To learn more
about Dropbox Business, contact our sales team at sales@dropbox.com.
