Over 60 Million Dropbox User ID’s and Passwords Stolen!

Dropbox users have been urged to change their passwords immediately after it was revealed that millions of accounts could be at risk.

The online cloud storage firm, which offers users extra space for customers to store their files in the cloud, confirmed that stolen usernames and passwords had been used to access accounts on the site.

Nearly 70 million Dropbox accounts may have been compromised. It is believed that the credentials were originally stolen back in 2012.

Dropbox says that it launched an investigation into its security protection following emails from some users about spam being sent to email addresses used only for the site.

The company discovered that usernames and passwords recently stolen from other websites were used to sign in to a small number of Dropbox accounts. They say they have contacted the affected users, and are now urging others who think they might be at risk to set a new, unique password for each website they use.  

Patrick Heim, Head of Trust and Security at Dropbox, said that a recent password reset carried out by the company last week should have protected all of its users, and that there is no indication of any new security incidents.

He added, "While Dropbox accounts are protected, affected users who may have reused their password on other sites should take steps to protect themselves on those sites. The best way to do this is by updating these passwords, making them strong and unique and enabling two-step verification. Individuals who received a notification from Dropbox should also be alert to spam or phishing."

The attack appears to have come from a stolen password which was used to access an employee’s Dropbox account containing a project document with user email addresses. 

Dropbox apologised for the any damage caused, saying "We’re sorry about this, and have put additional controls in place to help make sure it doesn’t happen again."

"Keeping Dropbox secure is at the heart of what we do."

If you think you've been the victim of the Dropbox hack, make sure to reset your password! If you’d like any further protection, contact The Computer Guyz in Cape Town or Centurion and we can back up your precious data and make sure it’s stored safely using an alternative method.