Using Dashlane's Secure Sharing feature you can securely share either passwords or Secure Notes with other Dashlane users.
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Why use Secure Sharing?
Sharing data in messages or emails isn't secure, but using Dashlane's Sharing Center is.
Why? Sharing this information through instant messaging apps is insecure, as the information is usually not encrypted and is sent in plain text on the network. This means your information can be read by the company running the messaging service. Your conversations are also generally saved in the application's history.
Sharing passwords or any sensitive information by email is also insecure. The shared information is copied in plain text in:
- The 'Sent' folder in your email provider's inbox
- The 'Sent' folder on all other devices connected to your inbox
- Your email provider's servers
- Your recipient’s email provider's servers (which may actually include several different locations and data centers)
- Your recipient’s computers or devices
But when you use Dashlane's Sharing feature, your data is encrypted before even being sent over the internet. Your password or Secure Note is shared directly, privately, and securely with its intended recipient.
For more details, please see the Security and privacy section below. For more general information on security and encryption at Dashlane, see here.
How to securely share items
There are two ways to share your data with another Dashlane user:
From the item you want to share
To share an item with someone, simply locate the item from either the Passwords or Secure Notes sections of your Dashlane app, tap on the item, and finally tap on the sharing icon of a person at the top right-hand side of the window.
Next, enter the Dashlane email address of the person you are sharing with, pick the permissions, and tap on the arrow icon. Please note that you can choose between two permission settings: Full Rights and Limited Rights.
Full Rights: The recipient can see, use, edit, and share the password. Note that the recipient can also edit sharing rights, so revoke the sharing rights of other users who were shared this item, including you.
Limited Rights: The recipient can use this password, but cannot securely share it nor edit its sharing rights. The recipient cannot modify the password directly within Dashlane, though the password will be updated if Dashlane detects it being changed outside of Dashlane. Within Dashlane, the password is presented as a series of dots, but keep in mind that this hides the password only from a casual or accidental observer. If determined to do so, a technically savvy recipient is able to reveal the password.
Once you've shared an item, the recipient will receive an email from Dashlane and receive an alert in the Sharing Center to accept access to this item.
Using the Sharing Center
You can share Passwords and Secure Notes directly from the Sharing Center. To open the Sharing Center tap on the three lines at the top left-hand side of the window to expose the drop-down menu. Scroll down and tap on Sharing Center. From there, tap on the green + icon to initiate a share.
Next, tap on the data you wish to share and tap on the green share icon at the bottom right-hand side of the window.
Finally, enter the Dashlane email address of the person you are sharing with, pick the permissions, and tap on the white arrow icon at the top right-hand side of the window. Please note that you can choose between two permission settings: Full Rights and Limited Rights.
Full Rights: The recipient can see, use, edit, and share the password. Note that the recipient can also edit sharing rights, so revoke the sharing rights of other users who were shared this item, including you.
Limited Rights: The recipient can use this password, but cannot securely share it nor edit its sharing rights. The recipient cannot modify the password directly within Dashlane, though the password will be updated if Dashlane detects it being changed outside of Dashlane. Within Dashlane, the password is presented as a series of dots, but keep in mind that this hides the password only from a casual or accidental observer. If determined to do so, a technically savvy recipient is able to reveal the password.
Do I need to be Premium to share?
No. You don't need to have a Premium subscription in order to use Dashlane's Sharing feature. However, if you're using the Free version of Dashlane, you can share a maximum of 5 items between each user (i.e. if you share 2 items with a user and they share 3 items with you, you both would meet this maximum of 5 items per user). Premium users have unlimited sharing. Read more here: Dashlane Free v. Premium.
Security and privacy
For each Dashlane user, we created:
- A unique public key saved on Dashlane's servers. When records are shared, the recipient's public key is used for encryption (asymmetric).
- A unique private key which is directly saved in your Dashlane account and encrypted in your Dashlane settings. This is known exclusively by you and never shared or transmitted to others. This key works even for free users who don't have the sync feature because your account settings are synced across all devices even if you don't have Premium. This private key is used to decrypt data exclusively. Please note that your private key is different to your Master Password. Your private key is encrypted with your Master Password and stored in the settings of your Dashlane account (along with all of your other saved sensitive data). This private key is synced over to other devices in the same way as your encrypted data is. We never send your Master Password over the internet.
Both keys are generated together and are meant to work together because they only work in one direction. One can never be used to replace the other. Even with access to your public key, one would still need access to the private key in order for decryption to take place. Shared data is encrypted with the recipient's public key, but can't be decrypted with the public key.