Dropbox to Make Password Manager Feature Free for All Users

File hosting service Dropbox has announced that it will be making its password manager feature, Dropbox Passwords, available to all users free-of-charge.

From April, anyone with a basic, free Dropbox plan will be able to try a limited version of Dropbox Passwords, the company explained.

Originally launched last year for its paid plans only, Dropbox Passwords aids users in securely managing and storing passwords and signing into websites.

Now, with Passwords in Dropbox Basic, non-paying users will also be able to take advantage of a selection of password management benefits, including the ability to:

• Store 50 passwords in one secure place
• Access passwords anywhere with automatic syncing on up to three devices
• Securely share passwords with others (to be made available post the initial April launch)

Speaking to Infosecurity about the announcement, Joseph Carson, chief security scientist and advisory CISO at Thycotic, said: “The latest news from Dropbox is a major reminder of how important managing and securing passwords is and that it is a top priority to ensure more people are using password managers.”

He pointed out, however, that it is also important that organizations go beyond just password managers as they still require employees to manage them and organizations must move to securing privileged access and helping move passwords into the background.

“The move by Dropbox is a positive one; however, it would be better if it also required MFA by default to add more protection.”

Tim Wade, technical director, CTO team at Vectra concurred, adding: “At the end of the day, using a password manager is not without some risk, but generally that risk will be less than folks attempting to do it the hard way. Most folks will just be safer, and more secure using a password manager.”