Pre-Install Hardware Checklist

This is the minimum hardware that must be acquired to install SecureDrop:

• 2 computers with memory and hard drives to use as the SecureDrop servers.
• Mouse, keyboard, monitor (and necessary dongle or adapter) for installing the servers.
• Dedicated physical computers for the Admin, Journalist, and Secure Viewing Station that can boot to Tails. At minimum this is 2 computers.
• Dedicated airgapped hardware for the mouse, keyboard, and monitor (only if you are using a desktop for the Secure Viewing Station).
• Network firewall.
• At least 3 ethernet cables.
• Plenty of USB sticks: 1 drive for the master Tails stick, 1 drive for each Secure Viewing Station, 1 drive for each Transfer drive, and 1 drive for each admin and journalist.

Important

To avoid hardware compatibility issues, we strongly recommend adhering to our specific hardware recommendations. Please review the Hardware section in full for further details.