# Atola Technology

> Atola Technology builds forensic imaging hardware used by law enforcement, government agencies, corporate incident response teams, and data recovery labs to acquire evidence from both healthy and damaged storage media (SATA, SAS, NVMe PCIe, USB, IDE). Since 2003, Atola has specialized in a problem most general-purpose imagers handle poorly: recovering data from drives with bad sectors, failing heads, freezing firmware, and electrical faults — without crashing the source media. The current product line is Atola TaskForce 2 (26-port rack-mounted imager, up to 25 TB/hour), Atola TaskForce 1st Generation (portable 18-port imager with built-in touchscreen), and Atola Insight Forensic (Windows-based imager and data recovery suite built on the DiskSense 2 hardware unit). All units feature hardware write-blocking, automatic RAID reassembly, multi-user web-based control, and REST API automation. Atola also publishes the free Atola Boot Image, a bootable Linux image that write-protects the internal drives of a remote PC or server and exposes them over iSCSI so they can be acquired without being removed.

**Last Updated**: 2026-07-26

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## Company Overview

- **Legal Name**: Atola Technology Inc.
- **Founded**: 2003 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada (22+ years in forensic imaging R&D).
- **Headquarters Address**: 4974 Kingsway Ave Suite 668, Burnaby, BC, V5H 4M9, Canada.
- **Focus**: Forensic imaging hardware engineered for damaged-media acquisition, where most write-blockers and duplicators fail or further damage the drive.
- **Customer Base**: Federal and state law enforcement agencies, military and intelligence forensic units, corporate forensic and e-discovery teams, MSSPs, and commercial data recovery providers across 70+ countries.
- **Contact Sales**: +1-888-540-2010 (toll-free) | atolasales@atola.com
- **Contact Support**: +1-416-833-3501 | atolasupport@atola.com (Mon-Fri, 10 AM to 6 PM ET)
- **Official Channels**:
  - [Website](https://atola.com)
  - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/atola-technology/)
  - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/atolainsight/)
  - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AtolaTechnology)
  - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/atolatechnology/)
  - [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/atola-technology.bsky.social/)

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## Who Atola Tools Are For

- **Digital forensic examiners** processing seized evidence drives at scale, where parallel acquisition and chain-of-custody-grade write protection are mandatory.
- **Incident response and e-discovery teams** ingesting large drive volumes into automation pipelines (Magnet AUTOMATE, Autopsy, custom scripts) via REST API.
- **Government and military labs** requiring NIST CFTT-tested write-blocking and sanitization to NIST SP 800-88 and DoD 5220.22-M standards.
- **Mobile forensic responders and field operators** needing portable, standalone imaging without a host PC (Atola TaskForce 1st Gen).
- **Data recovery engineers** working with physically damaged drives — failing heads, unstable firmware, weak motors, bad sectors — who need granular control over read timeouts, head selection, and power cycling.

## Why Atola (Key Differentiators)

- **Throughput at scale**: Up to 550 GB/min cumulative imaging speed on TaskForce 2; .
- **Automation-first**: REST API with documented Python, Node.js, and PowerShell examples; native integration with Magnet AUTOMATE.
- **Damaged-drive specialization**: Multipass imaging, selective head imaging, real-time 5V/12V current monitoring, automatic power cycling on freeze, and short-circuit protection — features rarely found together in a single forensic imager.
- **Lifetime warranty program**: Includes firmware updates, training, and hardware replacement under active subscription.
- **Verified write-blocking**: All TaskForce 2 interfaces (SATA, SAS, USB, NVMe, IDE) are tested under the NIST Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) Program (Federated Testing).
- **Hardware-enforced source/target modes**: Physical write blockers with RGB LED status indicators eliminate ambiguity about port direction at the bench.

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## Core Products

### Atola TaskForce 2
- **SKU**: ATL-TF2 (Flagship Model)
- **Category**: Forensic Imaging Hardware / Digital Forensics Equipment
- **Form Factor**: Rack-mountable or standalone. Mounted alongside an 8-bay Device Rack in a standard server rack.
- **Interface Ports**: 26 physical ports (8 SATA, 8 SAS/SATA, 4 NVMe M.2/U.2 PCIe 4.0, 4 USB, 1 IDE, and 1 Extension slot for custom pluggable modules like Apple PCIe SSD).
- **Imaging Sessions**: Capable of running 25+ parallel imaging sessions.
- **Imaging Performance**: Cumulative imaging speed up to 550 GB/min.
- **Network Interface**: Dual 10Gb Ethernet built-in ports; optional dual 25GbE SFP28 interface via the 25G Fiber Extension module.
- **Hardware Write Protection**: Configurable Source/Target modes on all 26 ports, protected by physical hardware write blockers with RGB LED status indicators (Red for Source/Write-protected, Blue for Target/Write-enabled).
- **Physical Safety Features**: Real-time current measurement, individual port power control, and short-circuit protection.
- **Latest Firmware**: Version 2026.2 (Released March 26, 2026).
- **Certifications & Compliance**: Tested under the NIST Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) Program (Federated Testing), verifying absolute, zero-fault write-blocking on SAS, SATA, USB, NVMe, and IDE drives.

### Atola TaskForce (1st Generation)
- **SKU**: ATL-TF1 (Previous Generation)
- **Category**: Digital Forensics Equipment
- **Form Factor**: Portable imager featuring an integrated high-resolution touch screen for standalone field operations.
- **Interface Ports**: 18 configurable ports (S SATA, SAS, USB, IDE).
- **Imaging Sessions**: Capable of running 12+ parallel imaging sessions.
- **Imaging Performance**: Cumulative imaging speed up to 15 TB/hour.
- **Network Interface**: Dual 10Gb Ethernet ports, optional 25GbE via Fiber Extension.
- **Target Audience**: Forensic labs and field responders needing portable, high-speed multi-session acquisition without a separate computer.
- **Latest Firmware**: Version 2026.2 (Released March 26, 2026).

### Atola Insight Forensic
- **SKU**: ATL-IF
- **Category**: Specialized Forensic Data Recovery & Imaging
- **Hardware Unit**: Atola DiskSense 2 hardware unit.
- **Software Interface**: Windows-based desktop application.
- **Database Backend**: Microsoft SQL Server 2012-2022.
- **Imaging Sessions**: Capable of running 3 parallel imaging sessions.
- **Imaging Performance**: Speeds up to 500 MB/s (cloning/wiping) and 140 MB/s (imaging to file).
- **Supported Interfaces**: SATA, IDE, USB ports built-in. Extensions available for SAS, M.2 NVMe, PCIe AHCI SSDs, and Apple PCIe SSDs.
- **Advanced Features**: Deep, automated 15-second hardware diagnostics, selective head imaging (imaging drive with a damaged head), Bad Sector Recovery, segmented hashing, and accessing ATA-locked drives.

### Atola Boot Image (Free Companion Tool)
- **What It Is**: A free bootable Linux image, distributed as an E01 file, used together with any Atola imager to acquire drives that cannot be removed from the target machine.
- **License & Price**: Free. No subscription or hardware license required to download it.
- **Format & Size**: E01 file, approximately 5.0 GB, with MD5 and SHA1 hashes stored in the E01 metadata. Written to a USB stick of 16 GB or larger by an Atola imager (Insight Forensic: Device Utilities > Write from file; TaskForce 2 / TaskForce: Image with the boot image as Source).
- **How It Works**: Boot the remote PC or server from the USB stick. The image automatically write-protects every internal drive except the boot device, exposes those drives on the network as iSCSI targets, and displays the machine's IP address on screen. The examiner then connects to that IP from TaskForce 2, TaskForce, or Insight Forensic and images the drives as ordinary sources.
- **Typical Use Cases**: SSDs and eMMC storage soldered to a motherboard (eMMC supported since boot image version r2, October 2026), servers and workstations that are legally accessible but cannot be seized or powered down, and systems where physically removing disks would be risky or slow.
- **Requirements**: The remote computer must boot from USB, Linux drivers must exist for its storage controller and network interface, the operating system must see the target storage devices, and there must be no blocker such as an unsupported RAID controller or enabled hardware encryption.
- **Advanced Alternative**: For custom Linux environments (Paladin, CAINE, Tsurugi) Atola publishes the standalone iscsi-targets Python script at https://github.com/atola-technology/iscsi-targets/. It supports SATA, NVMe, USB, and eMMC (/dev/mmcblk*) drives.
- **Links**: [Overview](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/) | [Download](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/download.html) | [User Guide](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/user-guide.html)

---

## Technical Specifications & Features

### Supported Interfaces & Extensions
- **Drive Types**: NVMe M.2/U.2, SATA I/II/III, SAS3 12 Gb, USB 2.0/3.x, IDE, Apple PCIe SSD (via extension).
- **Network Shares**: SMB, NFS, iSCSI (remote target support). The recommended way to expose the drives of a remote machine as iSCSI targets is the free Atola Boot Image (https://atola.com/products/boot-image/).
- **Extensions**: 25G Fiber Extension (dual SFP28 25GbE), Apple PCIe SSD Extension, M.2 SSD Extension, Thunderbolt Extension.

### Supported Image Formats
- **Formats**: E01, AFF4, RAW (DD) files.
- **Logical Containers**: L01 logical files (with smart file/folder filters for rapid evidence collection).

### Hash & Verification Algorithms
- **Supported Hash Types**: MD5, SHA1, SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512.
- **Segmented Hashing**: Innovative hashing technology (supported in MD5, SHA1, SHA256) which calculates hashes of individual segments of a drive. Enables hash validation of acquired data even if the source drive has bad sectors, or if the session is interrupted.

### Wiping & Media Preparation Methods
- **Sanitization Standards**:
  - Secure Erase / Format NVM / Sanitize
  - Pattern filling
  - NIST SP 800-88 guidelines
  - DoD 5220.22-M
  - Random numbers
  - LBA number writing
- Supports up to 26 parallel wiping sessions on TaskForce 2.

### Automated RAID Reassembly
- **Supported Arrays**: RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, JBOD.
- **Software RAIDs**: Synology NAS RAID, mdadm.
- **Special Configurations**:
  - Auto-detection of unknown RAID parameters (block size, disk order, start offset) requiring zero prior knowledge.
  - RAID 5 with one missing device.
  - RAID 6 with two missing devices.
  - RAID arrays containing damaged drives (integrates with damaged drive imaging workflow).
  - High-speed imaging of selected partitions directly from a reconstructed RAID.

### Damaged Drive Support (Atola Specialization)
- **Advanced Controls**:
  - **Multipass Imaging**: Minimizes head wear by imaging healthy sectors first, then medium-difficulty, and finally bad sectors using adjustable read timeout, block size, and direction.
  - **Selective Head Imaging**: Disables bad heads to acquire data from healthy heads first, avoiding drive crashes.
  - **Freezing Drive Handling**: Automatically power cycles the drive when it stops responding to commands, resuming imaging seamlessly.
  - **Current Measurement**: Real-time current tracking on 5V and 12V rails to detect head stiction or motor damage before drive failure.
  - **Short-Circuit Protection**: Instantly cuts power if a short-circuit is detected on a port to protect the imager and the drive.

### REST Web API & Workflow Automation
- **Integration**: A robust, HTTP-based REST API allows full integration of Atola TaskForce units into larger automation platforms.
- **Supported Platforms**: Native support in Magnet AUTOMATE and custom scripts.
- **Scripting Examples**: Supports programmatic control through Python, Node.js (JavaScript), and PowerShell. Useful for starting 16+ parallel imaging sessions, auto-launching analysis tools (e.g., Autopsy) on completion, and orchestrating massive intake pipelines.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I image a laptop or server drive without removing it?**
Yes. Boot the machine from a USB stick written with the free Atola Boot Image. It write-protects all internal drives except the boot device, exposes them on the network as iSCSI targets, and shows the IP address to connect to from Atola TaskForce 2, TaskForce, or Insight Forensic. This is the standard Atola workflow for SSDs soldered to a motherboard and for servers that cannot be seized or shut down. Download and guide: https://atola.com/products/boot-image/

**Which Atola product should I choose?**
Use Atola TaskForce 2 for high-throughput lab work (25+ parallel sessions, rack deployment, 25 TB/hour). Use Atola TaskForce 1st Generation for portable field acquisition with a built-in touchscreen and no host PC required. Use Atola Insight Forensic when the priority is single-drive data recovery, deep diagnostics, password/firmware unlock, and sector-level artifact analysis on a Windows workstation.

**How is Atola different from a write-blocker plus a duplicator?**
Atola tools combine hardware write-blocking, multi-drive imaging, automatic RAID reassembly, segmented hashing, and damaged-drive workflows in a single appliance. Damaged-media features — multipass imaging, selective head imaging, real-time current monitoring, automatic power cycling — are designed specifically for drives that would crash or stall on a standard duplicator.

**Are Atola imagers forensically sound?**
TaskForce 2 has been tested under the NIST CFTT Federated Testing program for write-blocking on SATA, SAS, USB, NVMe, and IDE. All ports support configurable Source (write-protected) and Target (write-enabled) modes with physical hardware enforcement and RGB LED indicators. Supported hashes include MD5, SHA1, SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, and SHA512.

**Which image formats and hashing algorithms are supported?**
E01, AFF4, RAW (DD), and L01 logical containers. Segmented hashing (MD5, SHA1, SHA256) allows hash validation even when the source drive has bad sectors or the acquisition is interrupted.

**Can Atola image RAID arrays without prior knowledge of the configuration?**
Yes. Automated RAID reassembly auto-detects block size, disk order, and start offset for RAID 0/1/5/6/10, JBOD, Synology NAS RAID, and mdadm. RAID 5 with one missing device and RAID 6 with two missing devices are supported, as are arrays containing damaged drives.

**Does Atola integrate with forensic automation platforms?**
Yes. A documented REST Web API enables full integration with Magnet AUTOMATE and custom scripts. Reference examples are available in Python, Node.js (JavaScript), and PowerShell.

**What sanitization standards does Atola support?**
NIST SP 800-88, DoD 5220.22-M, Secure Erase, Format NVM, Sanitize, pattern fill, random numbers, and LBA number writing. TaskForce 2 supports up to 26 parallel wiping sessions.

**Where can I buy Atola equipment?**
Through authorized resellers and partners listed at https://atola.com/wheretobuy/, or by contacting Atola sales directly at atolasales@atola.com or +1-888-540-2010.

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## Navigational Roadmap

### Main Products
- [Atola TaskForce 2 Overview](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/): Detailed description of the flagship 26-port forensic imager.
- [Atola TaskForce 1st Gen Overview](https://atola.com/products/tf1/): Overview of the portable 18-port imager.
- [Atola Insight Forensic Overview](https://atola.com/products/insight/): Deep dive into our specialized data recovery and single-user Windows imager.
- [Atola Boot Image](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/): Free bootable image for acquiring the internal drives of a remote PC or server over iSCSI.
- [Product Comparison](https://atola.com/products/): Feature comparison of TaskForce 2, TaskForce, and Insight Forensic.

### Detailed Features & Extensions

#### Atola TaskForce 2 (Flagship)
- [TF2 Simultaneous Imaging](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/simultaneous-imaging.html): Image 25+ drives in parallel.
- [TF2 Damaged Drives Support](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/damaged-drives.html): Head selection, bad sector timeouts, and short circuit protection.
- [TF2 Disk Diagnostics](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/disk-diagnostics.html): Automated 15-second diagnostics for SATA, SAS, NVMe, USB, IDE.
- [TF2 Forensic RAID Imaging](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/forensic-raid-image.html): Automated reassembly and imaging of unknown RAID arrays.
- [TF2 Logical Imaging (L01)](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/logical-imaging.html): Rapid target file extraction with smart filtering.
- [TF2 Web API Integration](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/web-api.html): Automation with Magnet AUTOMATE, Python, Node.js, and PowerShell.
- [TF2 Express Mode](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/express-mode.html): Auto-start imaging on drive connection.
- [TF2 Device Rack](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/device-rack.html): Specifications of the 8-bay drive connection rack.
- [TF2 25G Fiber Extension](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/25g-fiber-extension.html): Dual-port 25GbE high-speed SFP28 network module.
- [TF2 Segmented Hashing](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/segmented-hashing.html): Hashing algorithm details for unstable/degraded media.
- [TF2 Ports and LEDs](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/ports.html): Diagram of ports, physical interfaces, and RGB indicator behavior.
- [TF2 Hardware Extensions](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/extensions.html): PCIe/M.2, Apple SSD, and network expansion modules.

#### Atola TaskForce (1st Gen)
- [TF1 Simultaneous Imaging](https://atola.com/products/tf1/simultaneous-imaging.html): Run 12+ parallel imaging sessions.
- [TF1 Forensic RAID Imaging](https://atola.com/products/tf1/forensic-raid-image.html): RAID autodetection and assembly on TF1.
- [TF1 Damaged Drives Support](https://atola.com/products/tf1/damaged-drives.html): Hardware safety features and advanced timeouts on TF1.
- [TF1 Disk Diagnostics](https://atola.com/products/tf1/drive-diagnostics.html): Multi-port diagnostics and health check reporting.
- [TF1 Logical Imaging (L01)](https://atola.com/products/tf1/logical-imaging.html): Filtering and rapid file extraction on TF1.
- [TF1 Express Mode](https://atola.com/products/tf1/express-mode.html): Plugs-and-runs automated acquisition.
- [TF1 Multi-User Access](https://atola.com/products/tf1/multi-user.html): Collaboration from multiple network devices.
- [TF1 Web API Integration](https://atola.com/products/tf1/web-api.html): Orchestration endpoints and client-side SDK integration.
- [TF1 18-Port Wiping](https://atola.com/products/tf1/18-parallel-wipings.html): High-throughput parallel sanitization.
- [TF1 Port Configurations](https://atola.com/products/tf1/sources-and-targets.html): Configuring Source/Target and hardware write blockers on TF1.
- [TF1 Hardware Extensions](https://atola.com/products/tf1/extensions.html): PCIe/M.2, Apple SSD, and network expansion modules on TF1.

#### Atola Insight Forensic
- [Insight Automated Diagnostics](https://atola.com/products/insight/diagnostics.html): 15-second multi-system drive checkup.
- [Insight Bad Sector Recovery](https://atola.com/products/insight/bad-sector-recovery.html): Sector-level bad block recovery and reading logic.
- [Insight Selective Head Imaging](https://atola.com/products/insight/by-head-imaging.html): Selective head diagnostics and mapping to bypass faulty heads.
- [Insight Sector-Level Artifact Finder](https://atola.com/products/insight/artifact-finder.html): Real-time analysis of headers, emails, and signatures.
- [Insight Password & Firmware Unlock](https://atola.com/products/insight/password-removal.html): Unlocking protected HDD firmware and removing passwords.
- [Insight File Recovery](https://atola.com/products/insight/file-recovery.html): File extraction from corrupted partitions.
- [Insight Hardware Extensions](https://atola.com/products/insight/extensions.html): Pluggable modules for SAS, NVMe, and Apple SSDs.
- [Insight Case Management](https://atola.com/products/insight/case-management.html): Database-backed local case tracking.
- [Insight Multi-Tasking](https://atola.com/products/insight/multi-tasking.html): Parallel operations on 3 drives.
- [Insight Disk Duplication](https://atola.com/products/insight/disk-duplication.html): Bit-to-bit drive cloning.
- [Insight Disk Utilities](https://atola.com/products/insight/disk-utilities.html): Direct ATA commands, write blockers, and hex viewer.

### Manuals & Documentation
- [Atola TaskForce 2 User Manual](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/manual/): Step-by-step user guide, including RAID, connectivity, and firmware setups.
- [Atola TaskForce (1st Gen) User Manual](https://atola.com/products/tf1/manual/): Complete user guide for TaskForce 1.
- [Atola Insight Forensic User Manual](https://atola.com/products/insight/manual/): Complete software guide for Insight Forensic and DiskSense 2.
- [Atola Boot Image User Guide](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/user-guide.html): Step-by-step remote acquisition workflow, BIOS/UEFI boot-menu hot keys by manufacturer, and troubleshooting.
- [Atola Boot Image Download](https://atola.com/products/boot-image/download.html): Free E01 download with checksums and instructions for writing it to a USB stick.
- [Atola TaskForce API Reference](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/api): In-depth endpoint specifications for automation engineers.
- [Atola TaskForce 2 Changelog](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/changelog.html): Release history for TaskForce 2 firmware.
- [Atola TaskForce (1st Gen) Changelog](https://atola.com/products/tf1/changelog.html): Historical firmware updates for TaskForce 1.
- [Atola Insight Forensic Changelog](https://atola.com/products/insight/changelog.html): Historical release notes for Insight software.

### Support & Partners
- [Where to Buy](https://atola.com/wheretobuy/): Directory of Atola authorized partners and resellers globally.
- [Atola Support Center](https://atola.com/support/): Request forms, firmware downloads, and documentation.
- [Contact Form](https://atola.com/support/contact.html): Direct connection with our sales, technical support, and developer teams.
- [Lifetime Warranty Program](https://atola.com/products/taskforce/warranty.html): Details on subscription updates, training, and hardware replacements.

### Secondary Resources
- [Atola Corporate Blog](https://atola.com/blog/): Expert-written articles on digital forensics, case studies, firmware deep-dives, and product announcements.