SecureDrop Workstation Project Status

SecureDrop Workstation is currently in active development.

We are currently in an open beta. If you are interested in using SecureDrop Workstation, please reach out to us via our contact form.

Is SecureDrop Workstation right for you?

If you’re a journalist or news organization trying to decide if this is right for you, please note that SecureDrop Workstation should only be used by organizations that meet the following criteria:

  • You have an existing SecureDrop Server in place

  • You typically only interact with .pdf, .doc, and .jpg files via your SecureDrop (as opposed to large datasets or complex file formats, which are not yet supported)

  • You have a functional Secure Viewing Station to fall back on

  • Your journalists and support staff are comfortable trying a new operating system (Qubes OS), and are aware that they may need to troubleshoot with us or with your internal tech team if issues arise

  • Your journalists don’t rely on the features that are not yet implemented

If you do not meet the criteria above, you are likely to run into difficulties or frustrating experiences using the Workstation, and should consider waiting until it is more mature.

SecureDrop Workstation Feature Comparison

SecureDrop Workstation provides a faster and more streamlined way of interacting with sources and submissions, while preserving important security properties. That said, it is still under development, and not all features available on the Tails-based (existing) system are available in SecuredDrop Workstation. We are working towards feature parity, but in the meantime, there are some notable differences; see the Limitations and known issues page for more information.

Do you still need a Tails-based Secure Viewing Station?

For now, yes. There are still circumstances where the SecureDrop Workstation may not be able to retreive or show submissions. The main instances are either in situations where there are a substantial number of sources or submissions stored on the SecureDrop server, or in instances were you are trying to open a file type that the Workstation is not yet equipped to handle.

Once SecureDrop Workstation is more mature, you will be able to use it to view most submissions, but for now, having the Secure Viewing Station available as a backup is imperative.