Dropbox adds end-to-end encryption for team folders

Dropbox now offers end-to-end encryption and key management for customers on certain paid plans, part of a range of updates to the file sharing application announced this week. 

Customers files are already encrypted “at rest” using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standards, said Dropbox, but the end-to-end encryption integrated into team folders offers an added layer of security. 

The change means that only the sender and recipient can access content, with “not even Dropbox” able to view customers files, the company said in a blog post Wednesday. 

Dropbox said it will also provide customers with access to encryption keys, managed by FIPS 140-2 Level 3 key management services.

Information on how to activate and manage team folder encryption is available on the Dropbox website. The company warned that end-to-end encryption restricts certain features in the app, such as the ability to share files with users outside of a team, and might not be suitable for all files stored in a Dropbox account.

Other security features include the ability to manage team membership and invites from the Dropbox admin dashboard, and an updated Trust Center that contains security and compliance information related to Dropbox products. 

The security features are now available to customers on Dropbox Advanced, Business Plus, and Enterprise plans.

Dropbox announced several other new features as part of the latest release.

It will be easier to collaborate with colleagues on certain Microsoft files from within the Dropbox application, with a co-authoring feature that lets multiple users edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents at the same time. Users can also see who’s working on a document and any edits made in real-time. (That feature is currently in beta.)

There’s also an integration between Dropbox Replay and Microsoft OneDrive, which lets users pull files from Microsoft’s file storage platform into the video and audio collaboration tool more easily for reviews and approvals. 

Dropbox Replay will also get new features, including the ability to review and approve additional file types such as PDF and PSD files, integration with music production application Avid Pro Tools, and dynamic watermarking to help protect proprietary content.

Other updates include changes to the Dropbox’s website UI, following a revamp last October. The new capabilities let users preview files more easily, pin favorite files to the navigation bar, and access suggest quick actions for files.