Some data lives in places you simply cannot safely reach. Be it compromised endpoints, surveillance systems, etc., some networks never connect to anything by design. The problem shows up across defense, intelligence, critical infrastructure, and government environments every day, and until now, there hasn’t been a clean answer. The Owl Incident Response Diode™ (IRD) was built for all of it.
Since launching the Owl IRD™ earlier this year, conversations with IR operators, OT engineers, surveillance system administrators and classified network managers have been consistent: “We didn’t realize Owl IRD could do that.” The forensics use case may be where you start; read on for 3 more missions where the Owl IRD changes the equation.
Forensic Evidence Collection from Compromised Endpoints
This is where most people start with the IRD, and for good reason. When a host is compromised, traditional collection methods force a choice: connect to the endpoint and risk reinfection/callback or don’t connect and lose the evidence. As discussed in our previous blog, it’s worth pausing to determine whether a collection method without the Owl IRD is actually defensible.
The Owl IRD eliminates having to make a tough choice. Portable and deployable in seconds, teams can plug the untrusted end into the compromised host, plug the trusted end into your forensics workstation, and copy files as you normally would. U.S. Government-aligned FPGA-level Protocol Filtering Diode (PFD) technology moves data forward in one direction only. No return path, no malware, no callback- guaranteed at the hardware level.
The result is faster, safer evidence collection with a built-in chain of custody record on every transfer. For a deeper look at the full collection workflow, download our use case brief, “Safe Forensic Collection from Compromised Endpoints”.
Data Extraction from Surveillance and other “Unconnectable” Networks
Surveillance systems, physical security sensors, and classified networks generate continuous streams of high-value data like video feeds, telemetry, system logs, operational records. Other networks are designed for complete isolation to protect “Crown Jewels” of intellectual property, whether that is design materials, schematics, or software. By design, many of these networks can never have a direct connection to anything external. And, as with forensics collection, traditional workarounds don’t offer a defensible solution. USB drives, manual exports and/or ad hoc network bridges can all carry contamination risk, violate policy, or simply aren’t repeatable in a way that holds up to audit.
On the other hand, the Owl IRD gives operators a hardware-enforced, one-way USB path out of these environments. Plug in, drag and drop, done. The network stays isolated and the data moves forward. No configuration, no network reconfiguration, no complexity. Download our use case brief, “Safe One-Way Data Transfer from Unconnectable Networks“, to see how to deploy the Owl IRD in these environments.
OT Field Data Collection
Operational technology (OT) environments present a unique collection challenge. Industrial control systems, sensors, and field devices often run proprietary protocols, sit in physically remote locations, and cannot tolerate the risk of a network connection. Incident Response (IR) teams and OT security professionals increasingly need to pull logs, configuration data, and forensic artifacts from these environments as part of both incident response and routine security assessments. The Owl IRD’s portable, self-contained form factor, field-ready plug-and-play ease of use and U.S. Government-aligned PFD technology make it the right tool for the job.
Low-to-High Evidence Transfer Across Classification Boundaries
Moving forensic evidence from a lower-classification collection environment to a higher-classification analysis environment is one of the most friction-heavy steps in any investigation. Establishing the right transfer path takes time and in active incidents, time matters.
The Owl IRD simplifies that step. Using hardware-enforced, one-way transfer that meets U.S. Government Protocol Filtering Diode requirements, the Owl IRD moves malware samples, forensic artifacts, and operational data from low to high with a built-in session record that documents the transfer from start to finish. Fast, defensible, and purpose-built for the classification boundary challenge that IR teams face in the field every day.
One Suite. Endless One-Way Missions.
What ties all four of these use cases together isn’t the specific environment or threat, it’s the underlying requirement. Data needs to move out of a place where a normal connection isn’t safe, isn’t allowed, or isn’t possible. And it needs to move with a level of hardware assurance that software tools, USB drives, and improvised workarounds simply cannot provide.
That’s what the Owl IRD was built for. Watch our on‑demand mini-webinar to see how it works and how to leverage the Owl IRD in real environments.
For teams that need always-on, permanent one-way data transfer at the network boundary. continuous log aggregation, SIEM telemetry feeds, or high-speed enclave data transfer, Owl Talon® PFDs deliver the same hardware-enforced assurance at rack scale, up to 100 Gbps. The Owl IRD and Owl Talon family are designed to work together, covering every point in your architecture from the network boundary to the endpoint in the field. You can learn more about Owl Talon at our upcoming webinar, Extensible by Design: How Owl Talon v3.5 Powers Next-Gen One-Way Protection for High-Assurance Networks.
Whether you’re building out a DCO architecture, securing a network that can never connect, or rethinking how your team collects forensic evidence, the right diode for your mission exists. Talk to our team about Owl IRD, Owl Talon, or any one-way data transfer challenge you’re facing. We’ll help you find the fit.
