5 Ways to Identify a Candidate for the Magnet Forensics Community Award
Who do you know in the digital forensics community who’s doing amazing work worthy of the Magnet Forensics Community Award? A lot of times it’s hard to tell, because many forensics examiners choose to remain humble—to downplay their hard work in favor of the people they’re striving to serve and (in many cases) save.
It can be difficult to figure out who deserves an award. Our first recipients in the Michigan State Police Cyber Section were recognized for their response to a hostage situation, while our second recipient, Austin Berrier, was chosen for his work investigating child exploitation crimes. Those are just two examples of the many ways forensic examiners demonstrate their commitment to the pursuit of justice.
Do You Know a Deserving Candidate?
Want to nominate someone, but not sure where to start? Here are 5 criteria you can use when evaluating a candidate for the Magnet Forensics Community Award:
- An investigator or team who worked a major case that captured local or regional attention.
- An investigator or team that cracked an especially frustrating or complex case. (Note: we don’t need a lot of details if the case hasn’t yet been adjudicated. We just want to recognize the work.)
- An individual investigator who has vast expertise in a particular area of digital investigation (such as mobile forensics, online investigations, cloud forensics, etc.) and takes the time to mentor or train others in conducting their own investigations in this field.
- Outstanding contributions to the field, either for their work on a blog/vlog or through writing their own scripts, or volunteering at camps and events to help inspire youth to find careers in DFIR and cybersecurity.
- An individual who has persevered through personal setbacks, including physical or mental health challenges, to continue to serve their department and community with their digital forensics expertise.
In addition to a Magnet Forensics prize pack, we will make a donation to the winner’s charity of choice. The Michigan State Police asked for a donation to be made on their behalf to Michigan State Police Trooper Assistance Fund, while Agent Berrier selected the ALS Association.
Nominators also receive a Magnet Forensics prize pack as a thank-you to taking the time to nominate the winner.
Know an individual or team who deserves to be in the spotlight? Magnet Forensics will continue featuring members of the community. Nominate someone here.