What is typically a feature of hardware write-blockers used in digital forensics?

Hardware write-blockers are essential tools in digital forensics that facilitate the secure and undistorted acquisition of data from storage devices like hard drives. A pivotal feature of these devices is their function as bridging devices between a drive and the forensic workstation. By establishing this connection, they ensure that any data transfer is one-directional, allowing data to be read from the storage medium while preventing any write operations that could alter the original data.

This characteristic is crucial for maintaining the integrity of potential evidence during investigations. The design of hardware write-blockers often includes specialized circuitry that permits data flows only in the designated reading direction, effectively safeguarding the original data from being modified or overwritten during the forensic imaging process. This function is what sets them apart from software methods and reinforces their role in post-incident data analysis and legal proceedings.

Options that describe write-blockers as being installed directly on a hard drive, as software applications running on a PC, or as tools that compress data are not aligned with how these devices are designed to operate and the purpose they serve in the context of digital forensics.