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!
Both iOS and Android are known to keep multiple copies of certain data, but the reason why isn’t always the same. Not all copies are created equal! In this episode of Mobile Unpacked, we will explore why data gets duplicated across both iOS and Android and how those duplicates can be ignored or crucial to your investigation.
As more digital activity migrates to the cloud, investigators need to adjust their legal processes to align with the realities of online data storage. In this episode of Legal Unpacked, Justin Fitzsimmons will examine how to draft effective search warrants for cloud-based data, including the need to understand the types of user information providers actually collect and store.
You’ll learn the importance of reviewing and preserving key service documents, including terms of service, privacy policies, cookie policies, and screenshots of provider-facing dashboards or archive tools, to demonstrate what data exists and how the companies retain it.
There will also be an emphasis on defining, with precision, the types of data relevant to the investigation and supporting each request with the information courts expect: a clear explanation of the specific data sought, how that data is generated through user or system activity, where it resides within the provider’s infrastructure, why it is relevant to proving elements of the offense, and how it may help attribute the activity to a specific user. This approach provides a practical framework for satisfying the requirements of probable cause and particularity, while making your request intelligible and credible to both courts and service providers.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a regular part of our daily lives—including modern criminal prosecutions and courtroom practice.
In this episode of Legal Unpacked, Justin Fitzsimmons introduces a clear three-dimensional AI framework for lawyers, distinguishing capabilities, tools, and applications, and explaining the current reality of narrow AI that drives most systems in use today.
Prosecutors will gain a practical understanding of generative AI, including how it creates content, where it fails, and why documented breakdowns in the legal profession matter for credibility and risk assessment.
The presentation also addresses the ethical and professional responsibilities associated with AI-assisted work and provides a structured approach for evaluating when and how generative AI may be used responsibly in prosecutorial functions.
The session concludes by grounding generative AI–created trial exhibits in evidentiary foundations, focusing on authenticity, reliability, and admissibility in court.
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.
As cyber incidents and internal threats grow more frequent and complex, enterprise DFIR leaders and service providers are discovering that digital investigations extend far beyond IT.
In a world where manipulated media can distort truth and damage reputations resulting in significant financial costs, verifying media authenticity has become essential for every organization. Magnet Verify is a purpose-built media authentication solution that gives corporate investigative teams unprecedented confidence in the legitimacy of images and videos. From internal fraud to brand protection, hear how Magnet Verify’s patented approach can not only identify synthetic and manipulated media but prove authenticity when it matters most.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Magnet Virtual Summit 2026—our biggest and best Virtual Summit yet! This year’s event brought together thousands of investigators, examiners, prosecutors, and industry experts from around the world for four days of community learning, practical insights, and an in depth look at the innovations shaping the future of … Continued
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.
