Magnet Forensics awards global scholarships to help advance careers of digital investigators, improve public safety
WATERLOO, Canada — Magnet Forensics, a developer of digital investigation software used by more than 4,000 enterprises and public safety organizations in over 100 countries, today announced it is awarding scholarships to investigators in Canada, the U.S., Australia, Nigeria and Brazil to help them advance their careers in digital investigations.
For the third time in four years, Magnet Forensics is increasing the number of scholarships it awards to the public safety community. The 2022 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards will provide scholarships to six recipients, all of whom will receive training led by highly experienced digital forensic examiners and the opportunity to obtain an industry leading certification. They will also receive Magnet Forensics’ flagship digital investigation software, Magnet AXIOM.
“Magnet Forensics is proud to increase its commitment to investing in the modernization of policing by awarding scholarships to six promising investigators on four different continents,” said Jad Saliba, founder and chief technology officer at Magnet Forensics. “Digital investigations are playing a central role in saving innocent lives, but agencies are facing challenges in finding the resources and talent to carry them out. The winners of the 2022 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards will be able to help their agencies create their first digital investigation teams and expand their operations to increase the pursuit of justice.”
Magnet Forensics launched its scholarship program in 2018 to help police agencies address their growing talent shortage in digital forensics and to promote diversity in the profession. Budgetary constraints are limiting the ability of police agencies to create and bolster digital investigation units at a time when digital evidence has become pivotal to criminal prosecutions. These constraints are hindering their ability to investigate crimes such as child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and cybercrime.
The recipients of the 2022 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards were selected from an exceptionally competitive pool of applicants in two categories: new to digital forensics, which seeks to aid investigators with little or no experience, and an advanced category, which is open to experienced digital investigators who are looking to upskill and achieve certification.
The scholarships will be awarded in honour of Peel Regional Police Sgt. Steve Martin. As an Internet Child Exploitation unit investigator, Sgt. Martin played a leading role in arresting criminals who preyed on children before he died of cancer in January 2021.
The 2022 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award winners are:
New to Forensics: John Freeman of the City of Girard Police Department in Ohio, Geoff Johnson of the Brantford Police Service in Ontario and Jason Neems of the Queensland Police Service in Australia
Advanced: Kristin Seering of the St. Louis County Police in Missouri, Joel Chukwuji of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Nigeria and Ana Moura of the Military Police of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
“The Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award is going to give me the training and resources I need to become the first and only digital forensic investigator at the City of Girard Police Dept,” said City of Girard Police Dept. Capt. John Freeman. “Few agencies in Ohio have the resources for digital investigations despite just how important digital evidence has become in almost all our cases. After my year of training, I’m going to share what I learn with nearby agencies and assist them in their investigations so that their communities can have better access to these essential services.”
Investigators who are interested in applying for the 2023 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards can visit the program’s website.
About Magnet Forensics
Founded in 2010, Magnet Forensics is a developer of digital investigation software that acquires, analyzes, reports on, and manages evidence from digital sources, including computers, mobile devices, IoT devices and cloud services. Magnet Forensics’ software is used by more than 4,000 public and private sector customers in over 100 countries and helps investigators fight crime, protect assets and guard national security.