Dropbox For Business Updates Boost File Security, Management

Dropbox released a handful of updates to its enterprise cloud file-storage and -sharing platform, allowing businesses to better incorporate the service into their data security and user management environments.

“Today represents a major milestone for our service, as we launch a collection of key features across three areas close to the hearts of IT: security, administrative control and seamless integration,” Rob Baesman, head of product for Dropbox for Business, told eWEEK. “Our goal is to make Dropbox for Business the best place to get work done, and we’re committed to empowering our customers with full control of their information so they can work together with peace of mind.”

Two-step authentication

Following up last month’s announcement that Dropbox for Business had attained ISO 27018 certification, a cloud-privacy and data-protection standard, the company has rolled out new options on June 5 that make it easier to implement two-step authentication. The company also extended its Dropbox for Business application programming interface (API), bringing data-loss prevention (DLP) and migration capabilities to shared folders. Already third parties, including Adallom, CloudLock, Elastica, Mover, Netskope and SkySync, are working with the new API.

In a related blog post written by Baesman, Rick Holden, vice president of business development and alliances for cloud security specialist Netskope, is quoted as saying that the “shared folder API allows us to better integrate our two services, giving IT peace of mind and affording employees greater flexibility in how they do their jobs.”

The company joins Microsoft in combatting the perception that mobile-friendly cloud environments are inherently leaky when it comes to business information.

Last month, Microsoft switched on its DLP technology for OneDrive for Business file syncing. In April, the company announced plans to beef up SharePoint Online’s DLP feature set with capabilities patterned after Exchange Online’s robust implementation.

Dropbox for Business will also work more seamlessly with Active Directory (AD), Microsoft’s user identity and access platform, a sign that the Microsoft-Dropbox alliance is picking up steam.

In November, the company announced a partnership to integrate Office and Dropbox’s cloud storage. “Together, Microsoft and Dropbox will provide our shared customers with flexible tools that put them at the center for the way they live and work today,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement at the time. The companies made it official shortly later with updated Office and Dropbox apps that seamlessly linked their respective platforms.

Now, AD administrators can better manage users of Dropbox’s business offering.

“We’re also integrating Dropbox for Business with Active Directory, the identity-management service of choice for millions of companies,” Baesman wrote. “Our new Active Directory connector, now being released in beta to select customers, will help simplify provisioning and accelerate deployment.” Also on tap is “an enterprise installer that lets admins automate the deployment of Dropbox for Business remotely to any Windows desktop machine.”

Originally published on eWeek.

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