Security of 1PW on iOS and Dropbox

noid · May 2014

I use 1pw on iOS and sync via Dropbox. Is there any security issue with authorizing apps to have access to Dropbox files/folders (besides the obvious they could access unencrypted files stored there)? Specifically, if another app (or even a person) had complete access to my Dropbox, could they obtain any secure info (logins)? I'm wondering if there are ever any temp/unlocked/unsecured files on Dropbox while I'm using the iOS 1pw app? Or does the vault unlock all happen locally, so no cloud files are ever unlocked/unsecured?

The app I'm linking is PDF Expert by Readdle, but the question applies to any app that is linked to my Dropbox account on iOS.

Thanks!

Megan · May 2014

Hi @noid,

I am so glad you are thinking strongly about the security of your data - thats what we like to see!

We are very confident about storing 1Password data in the cloud, as your data file is encrypted with an exceedingly secure encryption algorithm called AES. Even if someone were to acquire a copy of your 1Password data file, it would be extremely difficult (approaching impossible in a human lifetime) for them to actually gain access to your passwords without your Master Password. In short, we believe it is just as secure as having the data on your laptop. To learn more about cloud data security, have a read through the following article.

http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/cloud_storage_security.html

And you can see the thoughts behind our data format's design here.

http://learn2.agilebits.com/1Password4/Security/keychain-design.html

Also, you can check out our blog for many more articles that go into the nitty gritty math behind what makes 1Password so secure.

http://blog.agilebits.com/tag/cryptography_/