The WipeOS Verification feature is a powerful tool designed to ensure thorough data erasure, specifically adhering to the SERI R2V3 standard.
To begin the verification process, users navigate to the dedicated verify tab within the WipeOS interface. Here, they'll be presented with a list of connected drives, allowing them to select the specific drive they want to verify.
One of the most innovative aspects of the verification feature is the sector reader, represented by a distinctive red magnifying glass icon positioned adjacent to the selected drive.
How to Use the Sector Reader
1. Select the desired drive
2. Locate the red magnifying glass icon
3. Enter the starting sector number you wish to examine
4. Specify the total number of consecutive sectors you want to view
5. Click the "READ SECTOR" button to reveal the selected sectors' contents
Note: Using the sector reader, the user can visually identify any data on the drive. The sector reader can be utilized in the pre or post-verification process.
Key Areas to Examine
Boot Sector (Master Boot Record - MBR or GUID Partition Table - GPT)
- Located in the first sector (LBA 0) of the drive.
- Contains partition information and the bootloader code.
- Damage or corruption can prevent the system from booting.
Partition Table
- Defines how the storage is divided into partitions.
- Found in the MBR (first 512 bytes) or GPT (LBA 1 and beyond).
- Any discrepancies or missing partitions could indicate corruption or tampering.
File System Metadata & Indexing Structures
- NTFS: Master File Table (MFT) at Sector 4K (or LBA 786432 on large drives).
- FAT32: File Allocation Table (FAT) stored early in the partition.
- ext4: Superblock (LBA 2) contains important filesystem parameters.
Unallocated Space
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Sections of the drive that are not currently assigned to partitions.
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Often contains remnants of deleted files that can be recovered using forensic tools.
Sectors Containing Bad Blocks
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Bad sectors in critical areas like the boot sector or MFT can cause data loss or drive failure.
SMART Data (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology)
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Pay attention to Reallocated Sectors, Pending Sectors, and Uncorrectable Errors.
By following these best practices and examining key sectors, you can thoroughly assess a hard drive’s health, security, and data integrity.
Below is an example of a drive has been wiped and does not show a fingerprint
User Login
When a user selects the verification tab, the software immediately initiates an authentication check to determine if the current user is attempting to verify a drive they have already processed. If the system determines the authentication fails the error message below is displayed.
To switch between users, it is good to review the following;
- What user are you currently logged in as? This can be seen at the bottom of the User interface;
- During regular operations, ensure the correct user is logged in when switching between the primary wiping and verification technicians. If the verification technicians starts performing wipes, their role will be incorrectly recorded, leading to reporting issues. To prevent this, the verification technicians should complete their verification tasks and log out of WipeOS software when finished.
Once the verification process is running, it provides users with a detailed, real-time view of the data verification operation through four critical performance indicators.
- "Time Elapsed" metric tracks the duration since the verification process began.
- "Time Remaining" metric provides a dynamic estimate of how much time is left to complete the verification process.
- "Percent Complete" metric offers a straightforward, visual representation of the verification progress.
- "Verification Speed" metric measures the rate at which the system processes and verifies data.
When the verification process is complete selecting the "view data" section, provides three distinct options, each carrying significant implications for the verification process:
- CANCEL: The popup window closes without taking any further action
- NOT FINGERPRINT: Triggering Verification process failure
- FINGERPRINT: Presents the user with the save option, prompting them to enter the saved fingerprint name
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Specific software packages place their identifying fingerprints at the end of the drive, while others might use different locations. The Offset Type introduces an intelligent offset approach that provides remarkable flexibility:
- The system can dynamically adjust its search for the fingerprint
- By allowing an offset from the drive's end, the verification process becomes more adaptable
- This method ensures successful fingerprint matching across drives with different capacities and wiping histories
Reporting
The report interface offers a multidimensional view of each verification event. To view or download the verification report, the user must go to the WipeOS portal site, which can be accessed at https://login.wipeos.com.Once at the portal site, the user should select the correct report. The portal may display two certification reports. For 3rd party verification, select the Disk Verify Certificate The Disk Verify Certificate (3rd party ) report is shown below.
The Disk Verification Certificate allows users to view specific information critical for audit purposes: the verify date, Verify Status, Disk Serial number, Account number, Job number, and Disk Size.
Managing Fingerprints
Once a fingerprint has been added, users can manage it in the WipeOS portal. They can review, globalize, and delete its details.
By navigating to the “account” tab, a user can select “Manage Verify Fingerprints.”
In the "Manage Verify Fingerprints" view users can view the fingerprint.
The fingerprint globalization feature lets users register once to access all their connected devices through a single account. The fingerprint data is stored securely in a central database, enabling authentication across any appliance regardless of location. For instance, after registering your fingerprint on one appliance, other connected appliances on the same account will automatically recognize it without requiring additional verification steps. The globalization feature can be selected by individual drive.
Time Savings - This can equate to time savings for users with multiple appliances, who only need to register their fingerprints once instead of repeating the process on each device.
Simplified management - System administrators can more easily manage user access across multiple devices from a centralized system rather than dealing with separate authentication setups on each device.
** Best Practice: Establish a single master authentication credential (username/password) for all system verifications. This unified approach enhances security and simplifies access management by using one strong credential rather than managing multiple logins. Using a single set of authentication details prevents any uncertainty about which login credentials are associated with specific fingerprint registrations.