Configure the Admin Workstation Post-Install and Create Backups

Auto-connect to the Authenticated Onion Services

The SecureDrop installation process adds multiple layers of authentication to protect access to the most sensitive assets in the SecureDrop system:

  1. The Journalist Interface, because it provides access to submissions (although they are encrypted to an offline key), and some metadata about sources and submissions.

  2. SSH on the Application Server

  3. SSH on the Monitor Server

The installation process blocks direct access to each of these assets, and sets up authenticated onion services to provide authenticated access instead. Authenticated onion services share the benefits of regular onion services, but are only accessible to users who possess a shared secret (auth-cookie in the Tor documentation) that is generated during the onion service setup process.

In order to access an authenticated onion service, you require its authentication secret. SecureDrop includes a set of scripts to configure Tails access to the authenticated onion services. In order to persist these changes across reboots, persistence must be enabled in Tails.

To install the auto-connect configuration, start by navigating to the directory with these scripts (~/Persistent/securedrop/), and run the install script:

./securedrop-admin tailsconfig

Type the Administration Password that you selected when starting Tails and hit Enter. This script installs a persistent script that runs every time you connect to a network in Tails, and automatically configures access to the Journalist Interface and to the servers via SSH. The HidServAuth info is collected from files in ~/Persistent/securedrop/install_files/ansible-base and stored in ~/Persistent/.securedrop/torrc_additions thereafter.

In addition, the script creates desktop and menu shortcuts for the Source and Journalist Interfaces, directs Tails to install Ansible at the beginning of every session, and sets up SSH host aliases for the servers.

The only thing you need to remember to do is enable persistence when you boot the Admin Workstation. If you are using the Admin Workstation and are unable to connect to any of the authenticated onion services, restart Tails and make sure to enable persistence.

Back Up the Workstations

USB drives can wear out, get lost, or otherwise become corrupted, making it very important to be sure to keep current backups. Follow the Backup the Workstations document to create a backup of your Secure Viewing Station, Admin Workstation, and Journalist Workstations after you’ve completed the installation and post-installation steps.