Tech Tip: The Dangers of Dropbox (and Other File Sync Apps)

If you’re using Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or other consumer-grade file sync and file-sharing cloud applications, listen up. These applications pose a huge threat to your company.

That’s because company data can be spread far and wide without central oversight of what information is being shared with whom. Further, over seven million (!) Dropbox accounts have been hacked, giving cybercriminals a path into company networks.

This is even more important if your company has access to and/or stores financial, medical or other sensitive data. Using file-sharing applications like these are a clear and direct violation of data breach and compliance laws.

Bottom line: DO NOT use them for company data. And use only company-approved, business-grade, file-sharing applications.

Alan Edwards, CISM, is chief information officer at Computerware, Inc., in Vienna, Virginia.

tagsAlan EdwardsComputerwarecybersecurityDropboxfile-sharingfile-syncGoogle DrivehackersOneDrive