Enterprise forensics: Why scalable solutions matter 

Organizations in the private sector face significant complexity when performing enterprise forensics investigations, whether it’s in support of incident response, internal investigation, or litigation/eDiscovery. The volume of data, the sheer complexity of enterprise networks, and the necessity for speed demand an investigative solution that can scale seamlessly. Legacy enterprise forensic tools fall short in these environments, often unable to keep pace with the volume and variety of data sources.  

Magnet Nexus is designed with these challenges in mind, providing a scalable, cloud-based platform tailored to meet the demands of modern enterprise forensics. With Magnet Nexus, organizations can simplify the deployment and management of agents and endpoints, improve response times, and maintain compliance with data handling requirements—all within a scalable, centralized solution. This blog explores how Nexus delivers these capabilities, with real-world scenarios illustrating its effectiveness in incident response, internal investigations, and eDiscovery. 

The importance of scalability with Magnet Nexus 

For enterprises, scalability isn’t just a convenience—it’s a necessity.  

Magnet Nexus meets this challenge by providing a centralized, cloud-based platform that enables organizations to conduct targeted remote data collections and orchestrate investigations across global teams seamlessly. 

As a SaaS-based solution, you can scale up your collections on demand. Ingest and process data from multiple endpoints simultaneously without investing in additional hardware or compromising on speed, security, or data integrity, making it ideal for the diverse needs of enterprise digital forensics. 

Moreover, Nexus’s scalability allows enterprises to easily onboard additional users as case requirements evolve. In addition, scalability in Nexus enhances cost efficiency, enabling organizations to complete enterprise forensics investigations more quickly by reducing redundant processes and leveraging resources effectively, which is especially valuable in prolonged or complex cases. 

Key benefits of Magnet Nexus in enterprise forensics 

Nexus offers several benefits designed to meet enterprise requirements across all investigation types. Here’s how Nexus empowers organizations to streamline enterprise digital forensics: 

• Centralized case management: Nexus provides a single, unified dashboard to manage and monitor multiple cases concurrently. With real-time status updates, teams can keep track of progress, assign roles, share cases, and collaborate seamlessly from case setup and beyond. 
• Remote data collection at scale: Nexus enables remote collection from multiple endpoints, making it ideal for remote or hybrid workforces. This minimizes downtime, delays due to shipping and travel, and reduces the need for on-site visits. 
• Multi-user collaboration and role-based access: With role-based access controls, Nexus supports multiple stakeholders—from forensic examiners to legal teams—involved in enterprise forensics investigations. This ensures each user has the access they need without compromising data integrity. 
• Integration with Magnet Axiom Cyber: Nexus exports data in a variety of formats, including an .MFDB file which allows you to easily import data into Magnet Axiom Cyber.  With Axiom Cyber’s ability to conduct a deep dive into digital forensic artifacts, you can quickly pivot to a more detailed investigation if necessary.   
• Cost effective and future-proofing: As your organization grows, you can scale up by adding more endpoint coverage. There’s no need to pay for resources you don’t need, making it more cost-effective than legacy enterprise forensics solutions.  

Scenarios of Magnet Nexus in action 

Let’s examine how Nexus provides solutions across three essential areas in enterprise  forensics: incident response, internal investigations, and eDiscovery. 

Example Scenario 1: Incident response at a multinational corporation 

A global corporation experiences a sophisticated cyberattack targeting financial records across multiple regions. With hundreds of endpoints possibly compromised, the Incident Response (IR) team needs to act quickly to contain and analyze the attack. 

Solution with Magnet Nexus: Using Nexus, the IR team initiates a rapid, remote collection of data from affected endpoints across the globe. Nexus’s integration with Magnet Axiom Cyber enables the collection and analysis of volatile data, providing the IR team with insights into the attack’s origin and propagation path. By correlating activity logs and access patterns, the team can pinpoint compromised endpoints, isolate the threat, and initiate containment measures across the network—reducing overall response time significantly. 

Example Scenario 2: Internal investigation for data misuse at a technology firm 

An employee at a technology firm is suspected of unauthorized data access and misuse, possibly sharing proprietary information with external entities. The company’s HR and legal teams need to gather evidence without raising suspicion or disrupting business operations. 

Solution with Magnet Nexus: Nexus enables seamless remote data collection from the employee’s device. With Nexus’s centralized management, the team can monitor email logs, file access histories, and communications all in one place. The collected data allow the compliance team to escalate the case to legal counsel efficiently and with minimal disruption. 

Example Scenario 3: eDiscovery team at a financial services firm responding to a regulatory inquiry 

A financial services firm is under investigation by a regulatory body for compliance violations related to internal communications. As part of the inquiry, the firm’s legal and compliance teams need to conduct eDiscovery on several terabytes of data, including emails, transaction records, and meeting notes, spanning multiple departments. Given the large volume of data and the need to maintain data integrity for regulatory audits, a scalable forensic solution is essential to ensure proper data preservation and chain of custody. 

Solution with Magnet Nexus: Nexus enables the eDiscovery team to perform remote, targeted data collections across relevant employee devices and office locations, quickly gathering essential records without requiring on-site visits or disruptions to day-to-day operations. Nexus’s centralized case management system allows the team to track each data source’s status and monitor the case’s overall progress, ensuring all data remains accounted for and is fully traceable. 

As data is collected, Nexus’s role-based access controls ensure team members can securely access and review data while preserving data integrity. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized alterations, preserving the data for audit and compliance purposes. By streamlining data collection, management, and reporting, Nexus enables the firm to meet regulatory requirements efficiently and respond to the inquiry in a timely manner, all while ensuring data integrity and confidentiality are preserved throughout the process. 

Why Magnet Nexus is a must for enterprise forensics 

As these scenarios illustrate, Nexus provides a solution that aligns with the unique requirements of each investigation type. For private sector organizations, Nexus not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures compliance, collaboration, and security across all forensic workflows.  

It’s more than just a “forensics tool”; it’s a scalable, enterprise-grade platform tailored to address the complexities of enterprise forensics in the private sector. 

Learn more about Magnet Nexus 

• Deep dive into an insider threat investigation in the blog post “Uncovering insider threats with remote endpoint forensics: a case study” 
• Visit the Magnet Nexus product page and check out the interactive demo to see Nexus in action 
• Watch the on-demand webinar “Magnet Nexus: Large-scale investigations, made easy” to hear from our experts and see an in-depth demo of Magnet Nexus