Magnet Virtual Summit 2021 Wrap-Up

For the second year in a row, we had a great Magnet May with our jam-packed Magnet Virtual Summit. #MVS2021 brought together an incredible selection of DFIR experts, topical content, and special activities, and it provided an opportunity to share the latest trends in the field, gain expert level tips to help in your investigations, and also to have some fun!

This years event was truly a global experience with sessions offered in multiple time zones, speakers from a number of different countries and special day for our LATAM DFIR community to attend.

Let’s take a look at some highlights from the event! If you want to go back and watch any MVS Recordings, you can find them here.

MVS Kick-Off and Announcement of Magnet AXIOM 5.0 & Magnet AXIOM Cyber 5.0

We got MVS2021 started with a great kick-off presentation from our Founder & CTO, Jad Saliba, and our VP of Product Management, Geoff MacGillivray. They took the opportunity to share information on our recently announced Magnet Digital Investigation Suite and the release of Magnet AXIOM 5.0 & Magnet AXIOM Cyber 5.0 — which we were very excited to get into customers’ hands!

Our Keynote Presentation: A Fireside Chat with Brian Krebs

It was great for Jad to get a chance to sit down with renowned American Journalist, Brian Krebs to talk through some of the biggest trends happening in cybercrime and cybersecurity. Brian brought a unique and beneficial perspective to the conversation that really give attendees some ways to look at how they can be prepared for what’s happening in cybercrime.

Another Hugely Competitive MVS CTF

One of our favorite parts of the Magnet Virtual Summit is our Capture The Flag event and this year was another strong competition! The flag was captured by none other than Kevin Pagano who won with 725 points!

It was also great to have David Cowen, Matt Seyer, and Brian Moran from the Forensic Lunch provide great commentary throughout. We were happy to welcome them back for a live taping of the Forensic Lunch where we were proud to announce the winners of the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award and open up applications for this year. Find out more here.

MVS Mentorship Day

One of the most exciting parts of MVS2021 was a new special event, MVS Mentorship Day, which gave a chance for DFIR professionals to offer one-on-one mentorship time and host group conversations. We even connected DFIR employers with those who were starting out in the field or looking for advice on how to move forward in their career.

MVS2021 DFIRFit

After a year of challenges, we really wanted to focus on the importance of physical wellbeing and prioritizing mental health. Kathryn Hedley and Brian Moran did a great job getting people pumped for #MVS2021DFIRFit and were able to raise $1,349 for I Play Like a Girl – which Magnet Forensics was proud to match for a combined total of $2,698! In addition, we were excited to host an online fitness class as well as a special presentation from Magnet Forensics’ Kim Bradley and Clinical Social Worker, Sheryl Bradley promoting mental wellness and finding your 1%.

Happy 50^th Episode to Cache Up!

During MVS, we celebrated the 50^th episode of Jessica Hyde’s weekly live show, where she sits down with a DFIR professional and finds out more about what brought them to the field, their thoughts on the current DFIR landscape and much more. In this special edition, Jessica took the opportunity to talk to a number of folks who’ve been on the show previously and catch up.

Brett Shavers Shows Us How to Survive and Thrive in DFIR, Game of Thrones-Style

Among the many, MANY fascinating and informative speakers this year was well-known DFIR expert, Brett Shavers, who shared some of the great and the not-so-great aspects of the chosen profession, including some of the best words of advice that you can put to use in less than two minutes after the presentation. Watch the recording here.

See Everybody Next Year!

We can’t thank everyone who participated and joined us for MVS2021 enough. It was another incredible experience that was full of great learning, great motivation, and great fun! We hope you enjoyed Magnet May as much as we did and we’re looking forward to what’s in store next year.

Remember, you can catch up on recordings of MVS sessions here.