The Top 15 Updates to Magnet AXIOM in 2022

2022 was a big year for Magnet AXIOM. From improvements to Magnet.AI to the much adored (and long awaited) Dark Mode, Magnet AXIOM has transformed quite a bit over the past 12 months. While there are too many new features to fit in one post, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite improvements to Magnet AXIOM in 2022.

Here, in no particular order, are our 15 favourite new features to Magnet AXIOM in 2022:

1. Cloud Insights Dashboard

Evidence from the Cloud has been a key part of digital investigations for years now and is only growing in importance. This is why we created the Cloud Insights Dashboard, which ensures more cloud account information will be automatically surfaced making it easier to identify which cloud accounts are associated with the device extractions.

2. Dark Mode

Ahh Dark Mode. So soothing. So dark. What more can be said? This feature was a 2022 fan favorite. Now those long nights in the lab will only cost you sleep, not your retinas.

3. Parsing-Only Processing and Post-Processing Carving

More than just an excellent tongue-twister, this feature offers you more control over evidence processing than ever. The option to process evidence with parsing-only and post-processing carving means you can always apply the appropriate collection method for the investigation at hand.

4. Magnet.AI Improvements: Tattoos, Handwritten Documents, and Invoices

Magnet.AI added new classifier options in 2022 that let investigators work through and review case evidence faster than ever. You can find and tag tattoos, handwritten documents, and invoices quickly with the help of Magnet AXIOM’s powerful machine learning tools, then review tagged items easily in Media Explorer.

5. Cloud Authenticator

In 2019, Google announced they were discontinuing support for embeddable browser frameworks, like the one being used for AXIOM Cloud authentication. So, we introduced the Magnet AXIOM Cloud Extension for Chrome browsers to help with cloud acquisitions (and improve security).

6. iOS “Find My” Artifacts

The “Find My” app was released by Apple in 2019 and was originally limited to just locating user devices. It has since expanded, and now pumps out artifacts related to user’s GPS-based information that can be crucial during investigations. This year, we improved AXIOM to let investigators parse even further into this data.

7. Pre-Processing Date and Time Filters

The increase in data storage on consumer electronics, along with the expansion of cloud-based data storage, has digital forensic investigators drowning in data. We added pre-processing date and time filters to AXIOM to help investigators collect only the data relevant to their investigations, to help speed up investigations and ensure compliance with warrant restrictions.

8. Evidence Source Details

Investigators love the Case Dashboard, so this year we expanded it to provide unique identifiers and high-level information for each device in a case. This helpful summary includes key information like the serial number, device name, model ID, and more for all the devices that were used to source evidence; all in one convenient location.

9. iOS 16 Edited and Deleted Messages

iOS 16 brought some major changes to how iOS functions, which brought a host of new artifacts under the microscopes of digital forensics investigators (as was explored by our own mobile expert Chris Vance). One change was the added ability to delete or edit iMessages, a feature that creates new artifacts now easy to see in Magnet AXIOM.

10. Automatic Loading of Embedded iOS Keychains

Keeping with the iOS theme, this year we added a feature to AXIOM that will automatically recognize and pre-load iOS keychains contained in mobile images. This saves you the step of manually loading the keychain file and helps mitigate missing the keychain (and the additional evidence it can provide from encrypted apps).

11. Parse Keychains from CLBX Extractions

In June 2021, Cellebrite introduced a new proprietary format, CLBX, which is effectively an archived .zip to replace the DAR format. Magnet AXIOM is designed to work with many third-party tools to support the toolkit approach often employed by digital forensics investigators, and in that spirit we updated AXIOM this year to parse keychains from CLBX extractions.

12. Multi-Artifact View for Timeline

This year we added multi-artifact view into Timeline in Magnet AXIOM. This means that when you click on an artifact in Timeline, AXIOM automatically surfaces the top three most relevant elements of data relative to the artifact highlighted. In this view, Timeline highlights the Date/Time, Timeline Category, and Artifact, and then it also highlights the Key Detail for that artifact, a supporting detail, and an additional detail.

13. Hash Sets Manager Beta

The Hash Sets Manager (currently in Beta from the Magnet Idea Lab) offers a central database for automatically managing hash set distribution to instances of Magnet AXIOM or AXIOM Cyber in your lab—even if it’s offline. Check out our webinar about Hash Sets Manager to learn more.

14. World Map Cluster and Map Point Toggling

Getting lost in the whole wide world is easy to do. So, we added the ability to toggle between maps clusters and points to give more control over what you want to view and manage the precision of your evidence. The individual points, for example, are helpful when doing analysis on the precise location of a point, giving you a more in-depth analysis of where exactly the suspect/victim was, while clusters give you the high-level overview of where the suspect spent time more generally.

15. Faster Timeline Filtering and OCR Scans

We made Timeline performance enhancements this year to reduce your time to evidence when performing global searches or applying filters. Our testing showed that Timeline performance on average improved by 82%. We also significantly reduced the time it takes to complete optical character recognition (OCR) scans during initial case processing. Based on our internal testing, we reduced OCR scan time by 40%, enabling you to perform keyword searches of images and .pdfs even faster.

So that’s it. A look at Magnet AXIOM in 2022. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for Magnet AXIOM in 2023!