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Dropbox Adds Two-Factor Authentication
angry tapir writes "File-sharing service Dropbox is now offering two-factor authentication, a system that makes it much harder for hackers to capture valid credentials for a person's account. Dropbox, one of the most widely used web-based storage services, said last month it planned on introducing two-factor authentication after user names and passwords were stolen from another website and used to access accounts."
$ apt-cache search google authenticator
libpam-google-authenticator - Two-step verification
It's in Debian repositories (And probably Ubuntu.) You can download it yourself and integrate it into anything that supports PAM.
I have my code on both my phone and iPod touch so I always have something on me that can generate the code. The 'backup codes' are in a safety deposit box with other documents. Not sure if it actually is secure but it feels a bit more secure knowing that to get into my home server you have to have both my password and one of my devices. (And if I lose one I can easily generate a new key).
It makes a QR-code in the bash terminal that you can take a picture of with your devices.
I put my Dropbox Emergency key in Google Drive, and my Google Emergency Key in Dropbox. This should work out perfectly.
I did too, and then synced them both with my SkyDrive!
Dropbox wasn't hacked in the prior attack. Also, in a successful attack now you have two different products you have to find a security exploit on. Just throwing up your hands and saying 'everything can be hacked' isn't a security methodology.
The problem is that in the Dropbox company it was fine to just make a drop box account with some password that you reuse elsewhere. That is the fundamental problem. They don't have their employees use KeePass, or 1Password or something similar and generate random passwords that they change routinely, or any of these other security practices that would have prevented this attack without the two factor authentication. Dropbox is a huge target and does not have the expertise to play in that league (evidenced by the fact that they needed outside help to figure out this attack). I think the two factor authentication is a good thing, but if they think "OK, problem solved" then it is not helping them. There is no replacement for good security practices, especially in a company with such a high profile.
That was fixed back in Dropbox 1.2.48 (October 31, 2011)
https://www.dropbox.com/release_notes