Dropbox announces a number of security and data protection features

Dropbox announced new security, organization, and sharing features to give teams the control, flexibility, and speed to get work done from anywhere.

In the modern workplace, teams are spread across locations, time zones, and even different companies, so having tools that make teamwork effortless has never been more important. Using the lessons learned from Virtual First—the Dropbox playbook for distributed work—these tools are designed to help teams get work done quickly and seamlessly, all from Dropbox.

“Our latest product updates aim to empower teams to cut through the clutter so they can do more focused, meaningful work,” said Drew Houston, Dropbox CEO. “As teams become more distributed, Dropbox continues to be the trusted, easy-to-use platform for them to organise their content and collaborate—anytime and anywhere. And with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, we have the potential to automate routine tasks, increase productivity, and free up mental space so people can get back to doing the work that matters most. I’m excited about what we’re building for an AI-first future, and we’re just getting started.”

Advanced data protection features add extra layers of security to confidential content

For years, Dropbox has been trusted by hundreds of millions of users to keep their most important content secure in a simple, seamless way that doesn’t require custom configuration or complex steps. All customer files at rest are encrypted using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standards so Dropbox users can be confident their data is secure.

Some teams, however, work with more sensitive information and want customised encryption standards or additional layers of security to control their data and permissions. So, Dropbox is adding even more advanced data protection features, designed to be easy-to-use for all business teams. In addition to existing layers of security for all Dropbox accounts, business teams will now have access to:

• Seamless end-to-end encryption: Safeguards data so only the sender and recipient can access content, which means that no one—not even Dropbox—can get into those files. Seamless end-to-end encryption is now natively integrated into team folders and eliminates the need for additional software subscriptions.
• Advanced key management: Lets customers set up a unique encryption key managed by FIPS 140-2 Level 3 key management services, providing better protection and management of all team Dropbox files.

Dropbox is also introducing additional security features and updates:

• An improved admin experience helps customers monitor membership, configure add-ons, and customise AI usage to manage content privacy and security.
• An updated Trust Center simplifies risk assessments of Dropbox products in one place, making it easy to complete internal reviews and access information about security, reliability, privacy, and compliance.

The latest security features will be available to all Dropbox Advanced, Business Plus, and Enterprise customers starting now.

Stay organized with new Dropbox integrations with Microsoft 365

Customers want tools that meet them where they are working, and it should be seamless to bring the tools they use most into Dropbox products. That’s why the company recently launched an improved integration with Microsoft Teams that lets customers search, preview, upload, and share content stored in Dropbox without leaving Microsoft 365.

With this update, customers can also use Dropbox’s plugin extension for Copilot for Microsoft 365 to answer questions and generate summaries.

Today, Dropbox is building on this with even more Microsoft integrations designed to simplify work for customers.

• Real-Time Co-Authoring (beta): One of Dropbox’s most-requested features ever, Co-Authoring allows multiple team members to collaboratively edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files from desktop, web, and mobile, natively within Dropbox. Users can also see who’s in the document and where they’re editing in real-time, so everyone is working off the latest version. Now teams can finally put an end to conflicting copies.
• Dropbox Replay for OneDrive: Bring media files from OneDrive directly into Dropbox Replay for reviews and approvals.

“It is important that mutual customers collaborate in the most seamless way possible,” said Harshal Patil, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft. “The Cloud Storage Partner Program offers partners like Dropbox the ability to integrate with our solutions. With this integration, users now have a more seamless way to collaborate on documents stored in Microsoft 365 or Dropbox, thereby addressing evolving customer needs.”

Starting now, all Dropbox customers can sign up for the Co-Authoring beta and access the Dropbox Replay for OneDrive integration.

Find and get to work on content with quick view, quick access, suggested actions, and more

Last October, Dropbox introduced a redesigned web experience in response to customer feedback for faster access to their files. Today, the company is introducing several more improvements to help customers quickly find what they need so they can start doing their best work—all in Dropbox.

All Dropbox customers will have access to new capabilities to:

• Easily preview a file as you navigate through your folders with quick view. Customers can now also identify what’s inside a file or folder by hovering over it in grid view.
• Get to your favourite files quickly by pinning items within quick access in an updated left navigation bar.
• Kickstart work with suggested quick actions for files—like editing a PDF—that change based on how users work.

Customers on paid plans will get additional features like the ability to:

• Access content in fewer clicks with dynamic filters that automatically organise your content—like by project name or themes.
• Find similar files faster with smart suggestions that show files related to what you’re viewing, like similar PDFs.

Quick view, quick access, and suggested quick actions will begin rolling out globally now. Dynamic filters and smart suggestions are now rolling out to paid plan users in the U.S. in English only.

Fast-track video, image, and audio reviews with new features in Dropbox Replay

Today, video is the fastest-growing content-type on Dropbox, with over 1.5B videos uploaded every year. Since the company introduced Dropbox Replay, its rich media review and approval tool, customers have been sharing all the ways it’s helped them speed up reviews and get to final delivery faster.

For example, one Sundance film composer shared how Dropbox Replay helped him streamline his review process and finish the score in less than 20 days to meet the festival deadline.

Replay fast-tracks the feedback process so users can finish projects on time—and with features like live review, in just a few clicks, customers can start a live session to review audio and video files with collaborators in real-time. But today, customers are working across a multitude of content types, and they also need a simple way to put their brand front and centre. That’s why the company is introducing new capabilities to make it easier to do exactly that:

• Added rich media support: Use Replay to review and approve more types of rich media, including PDF and PSD files.
• Avid Pro Tools integration: Review comments on audio files within the Avid platform.
• Dynamic watermarking: Keep proprietary content protected and prevent unauthorised use by placing watermarks on work shared with collaborators. Watermarks include recipient email, IP address, date, and time of when the file is opened.
• Custom branding: Configure custom images, banners, logos, and colours within Replay project workspaces.

The Avid Pro Tools integration and added rich media support are available now to all Replay customers. Customers who upgrade to the paid Replay add-on can now also access dynamic watermarking and custom branding.

Manage sensitive documents securely and get real-time deal insights with DocSend Advanced Data Rooms

Customers say they’re spending too much time organising deal files and sharing them via email. Without analytics and integration across tools, it’s hard to tell which information is resonating with stakeholders and challenging to keep files updated.

That’s why Dropbox is introducing DocSend Advanced Data Rooms. They’re designed to simplify the entire deal process from initial pitch to due diligence to final signature. With DocSend, businesses can offload administrative burdens and securely share the most impactful proprietary information faster, so teams have more time to focus on closing deals.

• Conduct due diligence with confidence and control: Features like group permissions, visitor verification, and built-in NDAs give precise control over the most sensitive information.
• Empower your team with real-time deal insights: Comprehensive data room analytics and page-by-page insights let teams make data-driven decisions.
• Create and organise your virtual data room in minutes: Users can quickly put their best foot forward with features like data room templates, auto-indexing, and custom branding.