IR WIKI

Evidence Vault

4 min read

Overview

The Evidence Vault allows the storage of any file in a secure location and leverages the Integriti operator permissions structure to provide convenient access to relevant personnel. Compatible CCTV integrations can store snap-shots or short video clips directly into the Vault, either manually when viewing interesting historic video or automatically when Alerts are triggered.

Integrations that support Licence Plate Recognition can also automatically save a snap-shot of the image that triggered an LPR event to the vault. Evidence that has been extracted from the vault can later be independently authenticated (to detect any tampering) via multiple cryptographic signatures.

Requires: Integriti Pro V 19.0 or later.

Prerequisites

  • Integriti System Designer with installer-level access.
  • Integriti Pro V 19.0 or later.
  • A UNC network path accessible to all Integriti Services (Application, Controller, Integration) with read/write/create permissions.
  • For automatic CCTV evidence capture: a compatible CCTV integration.
  • Operators must have permissions to “see” and “edit” Evidence Items.

Step-by-Step

Configure Evidence Storage Location

  1. Open System Designer and navigate to System Settings.
  2. Locate the Evidence Vault Path setting.
  3. Enter the UNC path where new evidence will be stored (e.g., \\NAS\Integriti\Evidence).
    • All Integriti Services require read/write/create permissions to this location.
    • Using a UNC path ensures all servers in a High Availability deployment have access.
  4. Note: Changing this location does not change the path of existing evidence — only new evidence. Each evidence item remembers its own path.

Storage Recommendation: Because evidence data is not stored in the database (or backed up by regular Integriti database backups), locate evidence on a NAS/SAN with RAID storage.

Configure Evidence Retention Time

  1. In System Settings, locate Evidence Retention Time.
  2. Set the default retention period. Integriti can automatically delete old evidence after this time to reclaim disk space.
  3. Important: Evidence can be “Protected” so it won’t be automatically deleted (see below).

Add Evidence Manually

  1. Open the Evidence Vault list from System Designer.
  2. Click the “Add file to Evidence…” button at the top of the Evidence Items List.
  3. Browse and select any file on the workstation to add it to the vault.

Save Evidence Automatically via Task Action

  1. In any action configuration (e.g., an Alert Definition’s “Created Actions”), add the “Save To Evidence Vault” Task Action.
  2. This will automatically save relevant CCTV footage or other data to evidence when the action triggers.

Manage Evidence Items

  1. Evidence Items are meta-data records stored in the Integriti database, obeying all usual operator permissions.
  2. Operators with edit permissions can edit the Evidence Meta Data record (notes, retention policy) but not the evidence file itself.
  3. To protect important evidence from automatic deletion:
    • Flag the item as “Protected”.
    • Set the “Preserve Until” date as needed.
  4. Evidence Items are deleted automatically when they are not flagged as “Protected” and their “Preserve Until” time is in the past.

Extract Evidence

  1. Right-click an evidence item and select “View Evidence…” (requires a workstation viewer for the file type).
  2. Or right-click and select “Extract Evidence To…” to save the file to a chosen location.

Verify Evidence Authenticity

  1. All evidence is stored with 2 cryptographic signatures: MD5 and SHA-256.
  2. Open the Properties window of the Evidence item to view the digital signatures (calculated when the evidence was saved).
  3. Verify independently using any file checking tool that supports these algorithms (e.g., the popular free 7-Zip adds a Windows Explorer context menu for SHA-256).

Verification

  • Add a test file manually via the “Add file to Evidence…” button — confirm it appears as an Evidence Item.
  • Configure a “Save To Evidence Vault” Task Action on an Alert Definition — trigger the alert and verify evidence is automatically saved.
  • Extract and verify an evidence item using an external tool (e.g., 7-Zip) to confirm the SHA-256 matches the stored signature.
  • Set a short retention time on a test item without protection — confirm it is auto-deleted after expiry.

Troubleshooting

ProblemResolution
Evidence not savingVerify the UNC path is accessible with read/write/create permissions from all Integriti Services. Test connectivity from each server.
Operators cannot see EvidenceEnsure the operators have permissions to “see” and “edit” Evidence Items. Check site-based operator restrictions.
Evidence auto-deleted unexpectedlyCheck the “Protected” flag and “Preserve Until” date on the evidence item. Set protection on important evidence.
Cannot view evidence fileEnsure the workstation has an appropriate viewer application installed for the file type of the evidence.

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