Cloud

Review: Dropbox Business Plays Well in the Enterprise

The business-friendly version of the software offers the drag-and-drop functionality of the beloved consumer app, with decent security and administrative controls.

John Breeden II

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John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.

Dropbox Business takes the easy-to-use features in the consumer version of the app and couples them with a back end that emphasizes security and user management. From a user perspective, almost no training is needed. Files can simply be dropped into place, or automatic syncing options can remove even that bit of manual labor. Every version of a file can be saved independently as well, so if a user makes a mistake, systems administrators can pull up an earlier version so that nothing is permanently lost.

And business users get unlimited storage space in the Dropbox cloud, so even the largest sets of information, plus all versions of all files, can be securely stored and shared.

Granular Administrative Control

One of the most powerful aspects of Dropbox Business is the admin console, which provides granular control over who can access information and how.

To test this, I added users to a business account to simulate new employees. I was able to decide if they could use single sign-on with Active Directory or would be required to provide two- factor authentication (an increasingly common security requirement).

In addition, I easily created employee user groups (such as finance, contractors, executives and other designations) and then set rules for how each one could access and share information. Groups might be allowed to share info only with others in their group, or only within the company. Certain groups, such as the public relations team, might have settings that let its members share files with anyone.

SPECIFICATIONS: License Level: Per seat, up to 299, License Period: 7 months, Supported Operating Systems: Android, iOS, MacOS, Unix, Windows, Access Security: Two-step verification, Encryption: 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard, Storage: Unlimited

A New Approach to Permissions

Permissions can also be designed around folders instead of groups. I was able to create a central repository open to everyone, regardless of group, where the faux company could put things like schedules, employee handbooks and corporate news. Sysadmins can also program folders and files to sync to specific devices or give certain users permission to create such relationships as needed.

Everything that happens to data is fully auditable within the admin interface. While the console is probably most valuable as a tool to see who is using information and where it is being shared, it also could be used to check productivity and ensure that people are working on specific files or projects.

In today’s digital world, audit capability is a must. Should a data leak or breach occur, the audit trail detailing who saw what and when makes Dropbox Business a powerful tool that goes beyond simple file sharing in the cloud.

Dropbox Business Holds Up Well in Worst-Case Scenarios

Dropbox Business works smoothly when used to manage workflow and information sharing as part of typical day-to-day business operations. But as we all know, bad things happen. Let’s look at how well Dropbox Business admin tools stand up in situations involving stolen devices and disgruntled employees, for instance.

When a Device Gets Lost or Stolen

Having set up some business files to sync to a user’s tablet so that they could work remotely with the latest version of all documents, I envisioned that tablet getting lost or stolen. Depending on how you set up your permissions for users, a stolen device could mean that the thief has full access to everything the original user did.

Thankfully, Dropbox Business has two tools of differing severity. The first simply disconnects the device from the account. When I checked, all of the old versions of the files were still there on the “missing” device, but the tablet could no longer access the main stores or upload changes. This is a good option if someone simply loses or misplaces a device. Once found, the device can be reconnected and immediately resynced.

The second option wipes all files from the device and then disconnects the account. In my test, this required that the tablet be powered up and connected to the internet. The moment that happened, Dropbox quickly deleted all files and then blocked further connection attempts.

Dealing with Staff Changes

An employee leaving the company presents a similar problem, only you might not want to delete the files. Perhaps if a worker leaves under unpleasant circumstances and you’re afraid he might tamper with the documents, you might want to wipe the device (although with all file versions saved to the cloud). That way the employee couldn’t do any permanent damage.

But let’s say an employee is retiring or getting a promotion. In that case, you could opt to transfer files to another user. And, in the case of a new person coming in to take the job, all of the previous permissions can also be mirrored over so that there is no loss of productivity during the handoff.

The Dropbox seems to have covered its bases with the administrative toolkit for its Business edition. In scenarios, both good and bad, thinking inside the 'Box is a good idea.

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