How to use the Dropbox Security Center

The Security Center helps team admins review their team’s security settings and find ways to improve protection. You can review recommendations, update settings, and explore additional security features from one place in the admin console.

Which Dropbox plans can use the Security Center?

The Security Center is available on Dropbox Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise. The features and recommendations you can access depend on your team’s plan.

Dropbox Standard

Admins on Dropbox Standard can review and update security settings included in their plan.

Features that require Dropbox Advanced appear as locked recommendations with an Advanced badge. Locked features don’t affect your team’s security status or recommendation progress.

Dropbox Advanced and Enterprise

Admins on Dropbox Advanced and Enterprise can review and configure the same set of Security Center features. Features don’t appear as locked recommendations, and there are no upgrade prompts.

How to access the Security Center on dropbox.com

To access the Security Center:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.

The Security Center displays your team’s current security settings and recommendations.

How to review your team’s security settings

The Security Center organizes your team’s security settings into four categories:

• Authentication: Review two-factor authentication, password strength, and single sign-on (SSO).
• Sharing Settings: Review default sharing permissions, shared link passwords, link expiration, and domain verification.
• Data protection: Review permanent deletion protection, end-to-end encryption, file classification, and ransomware detection.
• Detect and respond: Review third-party app permissions, advanced audit logs, and automated event alerts.

Each category highlights settings that may need attention. Recommendations are labeled Important or Suggested with important recommendations listed first.

Features that require Dropbox Advanced appear as locked recommendations.

To review settings that are already configured, expand the completed section in each category.

How to understand your team’s security status

The shield at the top of the Security Center reflects your team’s current security settings:

• Red: One or more important recommendations haven’t been addressed.
• Yellow: All important recommendations have been addressed, but suggested recommendations remain.
• Green: All recommendations available on your team’s current plan have been addressed.

The progress counter tracks your progress as you complete recommendations. On Dropbox Standard, locked Dropbox Advanced features don’t affect the shield or progress counter.

Dismissing a recommendation doesn’t configure the setting or improve your team’s security status.

The Security Center checks your team’s settings each time you open the dashboard. If a setting changes elsewhere, the change appears the next time the page loads. A completed recommendation may reappear if the setting no longer meets the recommendation.

How to update a recommended security setting

To update a recommended setting:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Find the setting you want to update.
6. Click Review next to the recommendation.
7. Read the information in the window that appears.
8. Click the confirmation button to apply the recommended setting.

Once the setting is updated, the Security Center reflects the change.

Some recommendations such as SSO, domain verification, app permissions, and activity alerts, require additional configuration on another settings page.

How to review authentication settings

The Authentication section helps you review settings that control how team members sign in:

• Two-factor authentication: Require a second verification step when team members sign in. 
• Password policy: Require team members to use passwords that meet a stronger password policy.
• Single sign-on (SSO): Let team members sign in through your organization’s identity provider.

To review an authentication setting:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Under Authentication, find the setting you want to review.
6. Click Review.

Some settings open a confirmation window. SSO requires additional configuration on the relevant settings page.

How to review sharing settings

The Sharing Settings section helps you review how team members share content and how your organization manages its email domain:

• Default sharing: Set new shared links to be accessible to team members by default. Team members can still choose broader access where your team’s sharing policies allow it.
• Link passwords: Require passwords on new shared links. Existing links aren’t affected.
• Link expiration: Set new shared links to expire automatically. Existing links aren’t affected.
• Domain verification: Confirm ownership of your organization’s email domain to help manage Dropbox accounts using that domain.

To review a sharing setting:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Under Sharing Settings, find the setting you want to review.
6. Click Review.

Domain verification opens the relevant settings page for additional configuration.

How to review data protection settings

The Data protection section helps you review settings that protect your team’s files:

• Permanent delete: Prevent team members from permanently deleting files before the end of the recovery period.
• End-to-end encryption: Protect sensitive files using encrypted team folders.
• File classification: Identify and label files containing sensitive information.
• Ransomware detection: Detect suspicious file activity that may indicate a ransomware attack.

To review a data protection setting:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Under Data protection, find the setting you want to review.
6. Click Review.

The available actions depend on the setting and your team’s Dropbox plan.

How to review detection and response settings

The Detect and respond section helps you review security features used to monitor activity and manage potential security risks:

• App permissions: Control which third-party applications can connect to your team’s Dropbox.
• Advanced audit logs: Review detailed records of team activity.
• Automated event alerts: Configure rules that trigger notifications for specific security events.

To review a detection and response setting:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Under Detect and respond, find the setting you want to review.
6. Click Review.

The available actions depend on the setting and your team’s plan.

How to explore additional security features

Admins on Dropbox Standard can explore security features available on Dropbox Advanced directly from the Security Center. These features appear as locked recommendations with an Advanced badge.

To learn more about a locked feature:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown next to Dropbox.
4. Click Security.
5. Find a locked feature with an Advanced badge.
6. Click the badge.
7. Read the information in the window that appears.
8. Click Learn more for more information or Upgrade to Advanced to explore upgrade options.

Admins on Dropbox Advanced and Enterprise can access these features without upgrading.