Fernico FAR® systems are specifically designed for Digital Forensic Investigators who need a complete solution for backup, restoration and acquisition of forensic data evidence. There is minimal user supervision except for placing blank DVDs or CDs in the input bin and unloading the output bin. The FAR systems deliver major labor and time-saving benefits by working around the clock, so investigators are freed up to work on other tasks.

• Backup Digital Evidence Automatically to DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray Disc
• Restore Disks to Rebuild or Review Cases
• Acquire Evidence From a Variety of Media

FAR ProFAR® systems backup forensic evidence/data folders from network locations or locally attached hard drives, automatically spanning the content over a series of discs in a variety of media. Backups include integral MD5 verification and full chain of evidence reporting. There is minimal user supervision except for filling the input bin with blank media and unloading the output bin. A FAR® system delivers major labor and time-saving benefits by working around the clock, so investigators are freed up to work on other tasks.

Making Manual DVD Backup is Time Consuming

FAR LiteThe restore feature has been engineered to load discs robotically, to any local or network storage location. No manual input is necessary to re-acquire data for review. In cases where evidential data has to be given to third parties such as lawyers, a set of DVDs are significantly easier to access and more portable compared to a hard drive or a tape that needs its own format reader. The archival life of high quality, evidence-grade printable DVDs is well in excess of 50 years and with the forthcoming introduction of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disc™, storage capacity will significantly increase to 25 GB and 50 GB per disc.

FAR Features

Optional Verification Settings: Either MD5 and/or SHA1 verification is a integral part of the backup process. Unless there is a MD5 hash match between the source data folders and a hash of the closed disc, the disc will be rejected and retried. Also, all the source hashes and the finalized disc hash values are always stored to a job report file which can be recorded to a separate report disc to complete the process.

Disc Labeling: Every step has been incorporated to help streamline the workflow. Both the sequential disc numbering and the number of disc copies are automatically printed by the FAR® software. Also, custom and default text fields can be selected to suit each user's specific labeling requirements for internal or external distribution.

File Splitting: Any single large file, either a DD image or a CCTV video clip, can be spanned to a series of DVDs automatically. The disc set can be read in any ROM reader without the need for a proprietary reader and has integral pre and post MD5 verification across each disc and the global file. Included with the disc set is a standalone separate application which will recreate the original file structure.

Job Restart / Scheduling: If, during a back-up job, the PC shuts down during the disc spanning process, the restart feature will complete the outstanding discs with the correct disc numbering. In addition, a backup job can be timed to begin following the imaging of a hard drive or when network traffic is quiet.

Auto Zip Foldering: Certain files to be backed up will be identified as non ISO-compliant and the FAR® software has a file handling feature that will automatically insert long file names into a Zip folder, so the job will proceed as normal.

FAR Comparison Chart