Shadow and Shield / Hardware Interaction

Hardware interaction.

Shadow and Shield detects attached media, assigns drive roles, handles USB bridge behavior, and records hardware context for platform activity.

Under construction · work in progress

This page will continue to change as the hardware, software, and release materials are finalized.

At a Glance

Drive detection, role assignment, USB bridges, and peripherals.

This page covers how the platform detects media, assigns drive roles, accounts for USB bridge behavior, supports configured peripherals, and records hardware context.

01 / Detection

Drive detection.

Hardware interaction begins with real-time monitoring of attached media. The platform can record drive inventory, disconnection, reconnection, and persistent drive context where exposed.

  • Real-time drive monitoring
  • Drive inventory records
  • Disconnection handling
  • Reconnection recognition
  • Persistent drive record fields where available

02 / Classification

Drive roles.

Drive classification separates source evidence media from destination or working media. Tool eligibility can depend on the assigned role and connection context.

  • Source, destination, and utility roles
  • Classification basis and policy
  • Tool eligibility by drive role
  • Metadata collection for device path, model, serial, size, partition layout, and filesystem where exposed

03 / USB Bridge

USB bridge behavior.

USB bridges affect what low-level commands and metadata are available. The platform can identify bridge information where exposed, account for known UAS/BOT compatibility issues, and apply bridge-aware safety controls.

  • USB bridge detection
  • Bridge-aware safety controls
  • UAS and BOT mode compatibility
  • Write-protection behavior
  • Device-dependent command availability

04 / Peripherals

Configured peripherals.

Peripheral support depends on the deployed hardware profile and connected adapters. Public copy should avoid implying that every deployment includes every peripheral.

  • Location receiver integration and fix capture where available
  • Bluetooth adapter integration, scanning, and personal area network mode where available
  • Smart-card reader integration and card handling where available
  • Network hardware for dashboard and sync paths

05 / Indicators

Status indicators.

Hardware interaction records help explain what was connected, what role it had, what hardware features were available, and what status indicators were surfaced during platform work.

  • Status indicators
  • Hardware interaction records
  • Drive and peripheral context
  • Graceful absence behavior when optional adapters are not present
  • Records can support later review and troubleshooting

Hardware behavior depends on connected device, bridge, adapter, and deployment configuration. Avoid universal claims about SMART, write protection, low-level commands, or optional peripherals.