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The Auxtera Project launches with goal of making justice accessible to vulnerable populations

July 15, 2021 – The Auxtera Project, a charitable initiative seeking to make justice more accessible by donating digital investigation software and the voluntary services of digital forensic examiners to organizations supporting vulnerable populations, has officially launched.

The initiative is now accepting applications from potential beneficiaries such as non-profit, charitable and public sector organizations, with demonstrable financial need, that work with children, racial and ethnic minorities and those who are financially disadvantaged.

Founded by employees of Magnet Forensics, a developer of digital investigation software, The Auxtera Project was created with the aim of bringing together the digital forensics community to help ensure that a lack of digital forensic technology and trained personnel would not stand in the way of justice, the safety of children, or the protection of other vulnerable populations.

“We believe that everyone, regardless of age, gender, race or financial well-being, should have equal access to justice,” said Magnet Forensics founder and chief technology officer Jad Saliba. “Digital investigations haven’t just played a crucial role in putting our worst criminals behind bars. They’ve helped rescue victims and exonerate innocent people of crimes they didn’t commit. Without access to it, children, racial and ethnic minorities and the financially disadvantaged only become more vulnerable.”

Digital evidence has become an important element of the justice system as many investigations now include a digital element. Successful prosecutions and defenses often hinge on critical digital evidence such as images, emails and location data. But the tools used to handle this data and the technical personnel that operate them can be cost prohibitive for vulnerable populations, leaving them at a stark disadvantage.

All beneficiaries of The Auxtera Project will receive Magnet Forensics’ digital investigation platform, Magnet AXIOM. In addition to the software, beneficiaries in North America will be eligible to be matched with a volunteer from a roster of highly accomplished digital forensic examiners to help guide their investigations. These volunteers have decades of combined experience in performing digital forensic investigations at leading public and private sector organizations.

“I’m volunteering for The Auxtera Project because I know that digital forensics examiners can make an incredible difference for at-risk groups that don’t normally have access to them,” said Lodrina Cherne, the principal security advocate at Cybereason. “Magnet Forensics is bringing the digital forensics community together for an important cause: to improve access to justice for all.”

For more information, visit theauxteraproject.com.