My Key Takeaways from the Magnet Virtual Summit 2025
The Magnet Virtual Summit (MVS) 2025, held virtually from February 10th-14th, was a whirlwind of insightful sessions, exciting product announcements, and engaging community activities. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow digital forensics professionals and learn about the latest advancements in the field. Here's a recap of my personal highlights:
Magnet Forensics: Innovation and Growth
The kickoff presentation by Jad Saliba and Braden Thomas of Magnet Forensics set the tone for the week, highlighting a year of significant progress. Several key announcements stood out:
Magnet Verify: The integration of Medex forensics is now complete, with their tool rebranded as Magnet Verify.
Magnet NEXUS: A powerful new solution designed specifically for corporate investigations.
Magnet One: Offering unlimited storage and seamless integration with other Magnet products, along with support for 3rd party tools, Magnet One promises to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Real-time synchronization for connected apps and a centralized dashboard for visibility are game-changers. I was particularly excited to see the emphasis on open integration, recognizing the diverse toolsets used in our field.
GrayKey Integration: Magnet One will integrate with GrayKey, further enhancing its capabilities.
GrayKey Preserve: Great news for current GrayKey customers – GrayKey Preserve will be available for free.
FedRamp Approval: Magnet Forensics is actively working towards FedRamp approval for both Magnet One and Magnet Review, making these solutions accessible to government agencies.
AI Principles: The presentation also highlighted a new article on the founding principles of AI at Magnet Forensics, a must-read for anyone interested in the ethical considerations of AI in our field: https://www.magnetforensics.com/founding-principles-of-ai-at-magnet-forensics/
Inspiring Keynotes and Sessions
The summit offered a diverse range of sessions, but a few stood out:
Brett Shavers: Brett's keynote on the investigative mindset was truly insightful. He emphasized the importance of critical thinking and creative problem-solving, skills that are often overlooked in traditional training.
Kevin Mulcahy: Kevin's powerful presentation, sharing his experiences as both a survivor of child sexual abuse and a prosecutor, was a moving reminder of the impact of our work and the importance of our dedication to protecting children.
Mobile Unpacked with Chris Vance: Chris's session on nested data structures was particularly relevant to our work at Hexordia. His insights into this complex topic were invaluable. We at Hexordia recognize the importance of understanding data structures and even offer a dedicated 2-day class on the subject, covering PLists, SQLite, SEGB, ABX, LevelDB, and more.
MVS CTF: A Thriving Community Event
The annual MVS CTF was a huge success, with over 1700 registrants! Kevin Pagano and I kicked off the week with a workshop sharing strategies for the competition. The 3-hour live competition on Thursday featured challenges involving iOS, Android, Windows, and Chromebook evidence. The competition board will remain open for free play until February 28, 2025. The images are available on the NIST CFReDS site: https://cfreds.nist.gov/all/Hexordia/2025MVSCTF, and the questions will be posted after the board closes via a CTF wrap-up blog. I'm excited to see the community write-ups and learn how everyone approached the challenges.
So Much to Explore
With over 50 talks on various digital forensics topics, the MVS 2025 offered something for everyone. I encourage everyone to check out the replays: https://www.magnetforensics.com/magnet-virtual-summit-2025-replays/ I'm already looking forward to next year's event!
