Hi, all! This is Jessica Hyde and I am so excited to share the winners from the Magnet Virtual Summit 2026 CTF, as well as images, the challenges, and the questions! The Magnet Virtual Summit 2026 CTF was another exciting competition. We had over 3,950 people register for the CTF and 1,041 folks solved at least one question —record breaking participation!
This research explores a selection of anti-forensic mobile apps on Android and iOS using Magnet Axiom: Snapchat’s My Eyes Only, Samsung Secure Folder, SpoofCard, and Wasted (an Android panic-wipe app). Each application was installed on controlled test devices on both Android and iOS, populated with realistic data (photos, videos, calls, and messages), imaged, deleted, and imaged again. Analysis focused on the recoverability of stored artifacts, the effectiveness of built-in security or wipe mechanisms, and the potential countermeasures available to investigators.
This year’s State of Enterprise DFIR Report is here! Based on a survey of over 360 private sector digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) professionals, the 2026 State of Enterprise DFIR report from Magnet Forensics offers insight into the latest challenges facing enterprise investigation teams and forensic service providers—and serves as a valuable planning tool for the year ahead.
I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago, and one thing became impossible to ignore. Five or six presentations, different speakers, different research, all orbiting the same core problem: deepfakes, synthetic media, and altered images.
Lately, I’ve been hearing a recurring theme: the volume of both data and investigations are straining teams in ways remote collection previously did. What’s interesting is that I’m hearing this equally from incident response teams and eDiscovery groups. Two functions with very different goals, but who are facing what is, effectively, the same storm and the same fatigue.
The same impulse that kept me running cases late into the evening as a digital forensics examiner is the one that now drives me to help agencies articulate their needs, justify investments in automation, and demonstrate the outcomes that funding can unlock.
This challenge is a fantastic, gamified opportunity for professional development, allowing you to rigorously test your digital forensics skills.
Authored by Doug Metz Originally published in the November 2025 issue of Magnet Unlocked. Want to be the first to see new content? Sign up for our monthly newsletter, Magnet Unlocked. In many corporate environments, cybersecurity and DFIR still operate in separate lanes: SOC = Detection & containmentDFIR = Evidence & root cause That separation made … Continued
Magnet User Summit 2026 is getting closer, and we’re excited to share this year’s presentation catalog! We’ve got an incredible collection of presenters lined up ready to deliver sessions that will educate, empower, and inspire everyone joining us in Nashville on April 20-22. That includes insights from both the private sector and law enforcement about AI-driven solutions, navigating the latest mobile forensics challenges, cybersecurity, media authentication, reducing the demands of your investigations in the lab and so much more.
When I first began trying cases, digital evidence wasn’t even part of the case. It simply didn’t exist in the courtroom. At most, you might see a phone bill or a stray email, but the real drama played out through eyewitnesses, physical evidence, and confessions.
