SoftBlock™ is a software-based forensic write-blocking tool. SoftBlock quickly identifies newly attached hardware devices, and mounts the device with read-only or read-write permissions according to user preference. This forensic software is built to handle the needs of both large-scale digital forensic labs and individual forensic practitioners. SoftBlock allows forensic examiners to quickly and safely preview data contained on evidentiary devices before data is imported. SoftBlock is built to run on a forensic examiner’s analysis machine; no additional expensive or cumbersome hardware is needed.