Data is the driving force of any system that uses computers. Data availability is the reason the Internet became popular, and the ability to modify, store, process, and retrieve data is a major reason why computers are used in homes and businesses around the world. The term storage media usually refers to a means of storing data permanently, and numerous methods can be used to store data more or less permanently on several different media types. These methods include storing data magnetically on a disk or using optical disks.

We’ll look at various types of fixed and removable media, and learn how they store (and sometimes lose) data.We’ll also look at one of the most common data types that is saved to media and analyzed in computer forensic examinations: images. Image files com- prise digital photos, line art, and other graphical representations of people, places, and objects that can be saved to a storage device or other medium. As we’ll see, these files can be created in a variety of different formats, and numerous techniques and tools can be used to view and recover damaged files.

Overview of a Hard Disk

Although removable hard disks exist, most HDDs are designed for installation inside a computer, and for that reason they were referred to as fixed disks.To avoid having to purchase custom or proprietary hard disks to fit inside different brands of computer, standards were developed early in the PC’s history.These standards dictate the size and shape of the hard disk, as well as the interfaces used to attach it to the computer.These standards are called form factors, and they refer to the physical external dimensions of the disk drive.The most common form factors that have been used over the past few decades are:


5.25-inch These were the first hard drives that were used on PCs, and they were commonly installed in machines during the 1980s.
3.5-inch This is the common size of form factor used in modern PCs.
2.5-inch This is the common size of form factor used in laptop/notebook computers.

[img]hard-disk.png[/img]


Types of Disk Drives

A disk drive is a mechanism that reads data from a disk and writes data onto a disk. The disk in the disk drive rotates at very high speeds, and heads in the disk drive are used to read and write data. Different types of disk drives use different types of disks. For example, a hard disk drive (HDD) accesses hard disks, and a floppy disk drive (FDD) accesses floppy disks. An optical disc drive (ODD) reads and writes the data from optical discs.

Fixed: These are drives like hard disks, which use media that are not removable.

Removable: These are drives that use media that are removable. A few examples of removable storage devices are:

Floppy disk: This type of drive uses media that are portable magnetic disks on which data and programs can be stored. Floppy disks are disks that are made of either flexible or rigid plastic material.The storage capacity of a floppy disk varies, but typically floppies can hold very little.
DVD: DVD is an acronym for digital versatile disc. It is a type of optical disc that holds far more information than a CD-ROM. A DVD can hold a minimum of 4.7 GB of data to a maximum of 17 GB.
Zip disk: Zip disks are used to hold data that requires more storage than a floppy disk can provide. Zip disks are used to back up disks and larger documents. Like floppy disks, Zip disks can be written to multiple times.

Data is organized on a hard disk in a method similar to that of a filing cabinet. The user can easily access the data and programs. When a computer uses a program or data, the program or data is copied from its location to a temporary location. When a user makes changes to a file, the computer saves the file by replacing the older file with the new file. Data is recorded magnetically onto a hard disk. A rapidly spinning platter is used as the recording medium. Heads just above the surface of the platter are used to read data from and write data to the platter. A standard interface connects a hard disk to a computer. Two common interfaces are IDE and SCSI.

Characteristics

Capacity of the hard disk
Interface used
Speed in rotations per minute
Seek time
Access time
Transfer time

Once damaged, a hard disk usually cannot be repaired. When a disk fails, recovering data from it is possible only after installing a new hard disk and accessing the damaged disk as a secondary drive.

Physical Makeup

A hard disk is a sealed unit containing a number of platters in a stack. It can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position. Electromagnetic read/write heads are positioned above and below each platter. As the platters spin, the drive heads move in toward the center surface and out toward the edge. In this way, the drive heads reach the entire surface of every platter.

On every hard disk, data is stored in thin, concentric bands, called tracks. A drive head reads from or writes to a circular ring called a track. On a 3.5-inch hard disk, there could be a thousand tracks. Tracks consist of sectors, the smallest physical storage units on a hard disk. A sector is almost always 512 bytes (0.5 kilobyte) in size. Figure 1-1 shows the parts of a hard disk.

Zoned Bit Recording

Data is recorded onto a hard disk using a method called zoned bit recording. Zoned bit recording is also known as multiple zone recording (zone recording). In this technique, tracks are combined together into zones depending on their distance from the center of the disk. Each zone is assigned a number of sectors per track. There are three types of data densities on a hard disk:

Track density: Space between tracks on a disk
Area density: Number of bits per square inch on a platter
Bit density: The bits per unit length of track

[img]hard-disk2.png[/img]

http://www.futuristicsec.com/blog/2016/hard-disk/

Data is the driving force of any system that uses computers. Data availability is the reason the Internet became popular, and the ability to modify, store, process, and retrieve data is a major reason why computers are used in homes and businesses around the world. The term storage media usually refers to a means of storing data permanently, and numerous methods can be used to store data more or less permanently on several different media types. These methods include storing data magnetically on a disk or using optical disks.

We’ll look at various types of fixed and removable media, and learn how they store (and sometimes lose) data.We’ll also look at one of the most common data types that is saved to media and analyzed in computer forensic examinations: images. Image files com- prise digital photos, line art, and other graphical representations of people, places, and objects that can be saved to a storage device or other medium. As we’ll see, these files can be created in a variety of different formats, and numerous techniques and tools can be used to view and recover damaged files.

Overview of a Hard Disk

Although removable hard disks exist, most HDDs are designed for installation inside a computer, and for that reason they were referred to as fixed disks.To avoid having to purchase custom or proprietary hard disks to fit inside different brands of computer, standards were developed early in the PC’s history.These standards dictate the size and shape of the hard disk, as well as the interfaces used to attach it to the computer.These standards are called form factors, and they refer to the physical external dimensions of the disk drive.The most common form factors that have been used over the past few decades are:


5.25-inch These were the first hard drives that were used on PCs, and they were commonly installed in machines during the 1980s.
3.5-inch This is the common size of form factor used in modern PCs.
2.5-inch This is the common size of form factor used in laptop/notebook computers.

[img]hard-disk.png[/img]

http://www.futuristicsec.com/blog/2016/hard-disk/

Your Server Management Problem Solved

Gain Full Insight into your Bare Metal Servers, EC2 Instances, Azure Vms, Digital Ocean Droplets etc.

1. Server Management

Manage your servers and instances from the cloud like never before. Send remote commands, perform package upgrades, deploy applications, check system settings and get logs. All these tasks take just seconds. Run Commands, e.g.: yum update, tail -n 10 error.log, reboot, etc

2. Monitoring and Alerts

Reduce the burden of monitoring and alerting of your cloud instances and bare metal servers. We keep an eye on your IT and alerts every relevant member of your team. Sample Alerts: CPU Usage > 60%, Disk Usage > 95%, etc.

3. Server Backups

We allows you to backup your servers and cloud instances to any location on a daily basis. Simply configure what you would like to be backed up and setup backup location. We will do the rest for you. Supported Locations: [AWS S3], [Azure], [FTP], [RSYNC], [LOCAL]

4. External Checks

With us it is easy to check your Services, Websites, Ports, IP Addresses from external locations. Just add an external check and system will automatically notify you of any issues with it. Sample Checks: Port 80,443,8080; IP Up/Down; URL Up/Down

5. Process Monitoring

Get Statistics of Processes inside your servers and instances. Whenever your Database (e.g. MySQL) or Web Server (Apache, Tomcat etc.) start consuming a lot of resources, you have to be notified about it to be able to quickly locate the problem. We allows you to monitor processes with ease.

6. Service Status Checks

Your server is a collection of apps that may crash from time to time. Knowing exactly if something happens to apps inside your server is critical to your business. We will alert you if any of the services dies so that you can act immediately.

7. Slack Integration
Finding Slack @awesome? We and Slack work well together. Get your server, URL, IP monitor alerts via Slack. Make sure your team gets alerts on time and is able to make instant decisions based on service status.

8. Powerful API
Get data integrated into your systems. Use API to get Server Statistics, Graphs Information. Partners have the ability to provision accounts, set limits and suspend accounts when necessary.

One Place to Monitor Servers, Websites and IP Addresses

http://www.futuristicsec.com

@flavourway1 use @Futuristic_SEC

Better security with biometric locks. Learn about the best lockset options to consider for your security and peace of mind. Take a closer look at just a few of the best home security door lock options available that use biometrics technology.

While the basic padlock used to be one of the top ways to lock doors, safes, and other entries, biometrics type locks are now the best that technology has to offer today.

Security is important to everyone, which is why so much work has gone into biometrics technology. If you are looking for the safest locks available that can enhance your security and give you peace of mind, these biometric locks are the way to go.

While locks can be designed to respond to a variety of different characteristics, this style of lock is specifically designed for fingerprint biometrics. To unlock this type of a lock, you must use your fingerprint, which has been programmed into the lock. Once you supply your fingerprint, the lock will open. These locks can be used on homes, offices, vehicles, safes, for securing electronic property, and more.

Adel LS9 Keyless Biometric Fingerprint Door Lock Left Right Handle

[img]adel-ls9.jpg[/img]

High quality hard plastic
Security & Easy setup: keyless unlocking and reversible handle. Three different ways to unlock + convenient design: fingerprint, password and mechanical key. Maximum 120 fingerprint. Reversible handle accommodates left-hand and right-hand door opening
Several operation modes: for instance, Passage Mode unlocks the door after the first validated entry and is a convenient solution for meetings and conferences
Relia ble components: independent clutch design + special clutch motor imported from Japan provide a highly stable performance. - International compatibility: standard backset, adjustable single latch, easy installation. Compatible door thickness: 30mm - 60mm (1-2 inches).

iTouchless Bio-Matic Fingerprint Door Lock For Left Hand Door, Silver

[img]itouchless.jpg[/img]

78 Passcode code users
2 Backup keys
Low battery power warning alert
Sliding cover to protect UV sensor, water resistance
you can easily give your children or other family members access to your home without needing to worry about them losing the keys
Fingerprint door lock offers a sliding front cover that not only allows protection for the optical sensor but also activates the fingerprint scanner when lifted and it can be accessed by fingerprint, passcode, or backup key
Powered by 4 AA batteries which will handle 15,000 usages.

SCYAN x7 Fingerprint Keyless Keypad Door Lock

[img]scyan.jpg[/img]

This state-of-art lock has been designed in US; The lock features a combination of a fingerprint scanner and a keypad enabling both the fingerprint entry and keypad code entry
The Scyan X7 lock has self-learning ability, which enables the lock to update a user fingerprint template after every fingerprint entry; This unique feature significantly reduces rejection rate
Two modes to login the system: programming code or administrator fingerprint; Make operation secure and easy
Reversible handle fit either left or right handed door; Reversing lever controlled by key; Removable key cylinder lets user to make key copy or re-key without bring the whole lock
Outside chassis double-shell heavy duty construction design; Fits a USA standard 2-1/8” diameter hole with a thickness of 1-1/4” to 2-1/4” door; Two small extra hole need to be drill.

August Smart Lock Your smartphone is now a smart key—and more. Lock and unlock your door, create virtual keys for guests, and keep track of who comes and goes, all from your iOS or Android smartphone.

[img]august-smart.jpg[/img]

Secure - Safe, keyless access to your home with iOS and Android smartphones
Total Control - You control who has access to your home and manage how long their access lasts
Always On - Powered by batteries means it’s always on, even if your power, Wi-Fi, or cable go down
Kindly refer the installation videos, August Smart Lock works with the free August app to create keys, grant access, view the activity log, and more, available for Android(TM) and iOS®.

Source: http://www.futuristicsec.com/blog/2016/fingerprint-door-lock/