Dive Brief:

• Dropbox is requiring users who haven’t changed their passwords since 2012 to update them the next time they sign in.
• The company wants to ensure its users are utilizing strong passwords. A tool on the site will help users ensure the password they’ve chosen is considered "strong."
• The company is also recommending users enable two-step verification.

Dive Insight:

A number of companies have been taking password security into their own hands, rather than relying on user habits. In a recent study by Gigya, only 16% of respondents said they follow password best practices with unique passwords for each online account.

"We’re doing this purely as a preventive measure, and there is no indication that your account has been improperly accessed," Patrick Heim, Head of Trust & Security for Dropbox wrote in a company blog.

However, Heim also mentioned that the company recently learned about an old set of Dropbox user credentials that they believe were obtained in 2012.