Magnet User Summit 2026: Bringing the digital investigations community together in style

Over 750 friends, customers, and partners from 25 countries joined us in Nashville for Magnet User Summit 2026 — an incredible turnout that will have everyone buzzing for a long time afterwards.

Between hands on learning, compelling thought leadership, and candid conversations, this was a chance to get a clear view of where digital investigations are headed and how Magnet Forensics is helping remove friction between tools, teams, and timelines.

Read on for the highlights — the breakthroughs, stories, and moments that only happen when this community gets in the same room.

Stories that remind us why this work matters

Some of the most powerful moments of Magnet User Summit 2026 went beyond the technology.

Victims’ rights advocate John Walsh took the keynote stage to share deeply personal stories and decades of advocacy, reminding everyone in the room of the real world impact of investigative work. Starting with the tragic story of his son Adam’s murder, John went on to describe how he and his wife Revé were fueled to turn their pain into something that can be a force of good for the world – which was how the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) came into being.

That impact came full circle when Julie Weil, survivor advocate and founder of the Not Just Me Foundation, surprised John to thank him personally for his role in bringing attention — and ultimately justice — to her case through America’s Most Wanted.

Another standout session featured former FBI Senior Forensic Examiners Becky Passmore and Stacy Eldridge, who brought their podcast Parsing the Truth: One Byte at a Time to Magnet User Summit. Their presentation reconstructed the Murdaugh murders through independent forensic artifacts, offering attendees a compelling look at how digital evidence can reshape complex, high profile cases. Subscribe to the podcast to hear a specially recorded episode featuring their MUS presentation.

Executive keynote: Innovation meets mission

During our executive keynote presentation, a defining message from Magnet Forensics leadership was loud and clear: “Eventually” finding the truth simply isn’t good enough anymore.

Jad Saliba, Braden Thomas, and David Miles shared how Magnet Forensics is evolving to help investigators move faster, collaborate earlier, and extract meaning from increasingly complex digital evidence. Their presentation was filled with exciting new announcements that had the audience cheering in anticipation, including the acquisition of V2 Forensics, the introduction of Magnet Autokey, the evolution of Magnet One, and the impact of Magnet AI.

Learn more in our Magnet User Summit announcement blog.

Hands on learning that brings theory into practice

Across all three days, Magnet User Summit delivered deep, practical learning through hands on labs and technical sessions designed to help attendees apply new methods immediately.

A few highlights include:

• A special series of presentations from our resident AI expert, Brandon Epstein – including our kickoff keynote – help set the stage for passionate conversations around AI’s place in digital investigations. At the heart of his presentations were an emphasis on the importance of training and for human interaction along the way.
• A hands on look at Magnet Axiom 10, showcasing Artifact Post Processing, native integration with the Griffeye® Intelligence Database, and expanded artifact support.
• A deep dive into Signal Messenger with Metafor LLC’s Mike McGowan, exploring potential evidence sources and collection challenges.
• Interactive labs featuring Magnet Autokey and Magnet One Case Stream, giving participants a closer look at new workflows designed to accelerate investigations.
• Attendees also had the chance to test their skills in Operation Candy, an onsite Capture the Flag competition — where one winner walked away with Ray Ban Meta glasses and many more walked away with sharpened DFIR skills.

Countless more thought leadership presentations, hands-on labs, Shop Talk sessions, Ask the Expert conversations, and partner demonstrations gave people a unique opportunity to dive deeper into digital investigations and Magnet Forensics products.

Announcing Agency Impact Award winners and 2026 scholarship recipients

During the kick-off presentation, we also had the opportunity to announce the recipients of the annual Magnet Forensics Agency Impact Awards.

Rochester Police Department and South Wales Police were honored for their dedication to investigative excellence in service of the community.

And six winners were selected for the 2026 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards! It was fantastic to have the next generation of examiners get their start at Magnet User Summit 2026. Learn more about their backgrounds and why they’re excited to develop further in the DFIR field here.

Finally, a new award was announced: the Caitlyn Kaufman Award, honoring a prosecutor who transforms digital evidence into meaningful outcomes for victims and communities. The award was presented to Sarah Davis, Assistant District Attorney General, 16th Judicial District, Rutherford and Cannon counties, for her outstanding leadership in violent crime investigations and unwavering commitment to victim advocacy.

A truly global community

Magnet User Summit 2026 also showcased the global nature of today’s digital investigations.

Guests from as far as Australia, Singapore, and Italy joined Magnet User Summit, sharing how their teams are tackling modern investigative challenges in their regions — leveraging AI, advanced workflows, and tools like Magnet Graykey and Graykey Fastrak to adapt to evolving threats and evidence types.

A special musical performance at our Customer Appreciation Night

Whiskey River Saloon was the site for another amazing Customer Appreciation Night! It was another fantastic opportunity to let loose in Nashville with great tunes, great friends, and the occasional bull ride. Jad Saliba took to the stage with a special new project: The Chains of Custody.

A heartfelt thank you to our partners

Magnet User Summit would not have been possible without the generous support of our friends and partners. We were honored to be joined by AWS, TRM Labs, Atola Technology, Carahsoft, Warrant Builder, Lumyx, Siren, Crisis Aid International, Mission Darkness, Operation Light Shine, T3K.AI, NCMEC, and Thorn. Their commitment to advancing digital investigations makes events like this possible and their presence made MUS 2026 all the richer.

Thank you for an unforgettable Magnet User Summit

Magnet User Summit 2026 was the perfect avenue for ushering in a new era in digital forensics.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Nashville, shared their expertise, asked hard questions, and helped shape what comes next.