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.
Too often, devices sit for weeks while the balance between thorough, defensible work and timely insight gets lost. When I was part of the West Virginia State Police and ICAC Task Force, I had to rethink how to strike that balance.
I’ve spent my career in digital forensics wrestling with two deceptively simple questions: Where do I start and where do I stop, in an investigation? Both decisions feel like drawing lines on quicksand. You’re flooded with artifacts—timestamps, logs, messages—tempting you to search every byte. But legal deadlines and investigative demands force focus. The real skill isn’t just finding evidence but knowing when to stop.
Years ago, I stood in a Colorado courtroom, arguing for the admissibility of a method I had developed to estimate vehicle speed using dashcam footage. The case was heartbreaking. A father riding a homemade motorcycle had been struck and killed by an impaired driver traveling at 105 mph. The only available evidence? The dashcam video from the offender’s own vehicle.
We can’t wait to share the news: Magnet User Summit is coming back bigger and better than ever to Nashville on April 20-22, 2026! Magnet User Summit 2026 promises to yet again be the DFIR event of the year—with world-class hands-on training (plus the opportunity to earn CPE credits), onsite certification, informative presentations, and early … Continued
