Setting The Standard For Image And Video Forensics In The US With Amped Software
Release Date: 07/05/2024
Si And Desi’s Holiday Special 2025
Forensic Focus
Si and Desi close out the year on the Forensic Focus Podcast with a wide-ranging end-of-2025 wrap-up, reflecting on how the year unfolded for the show and the DFIR community. They discuss the mental health series, guest appearances, and how everyday technologies — from streaming services to wearables — are increasingly intersecting with forensic investigations, even when people don’t realise it. The conversation then broadens to bigger technology shifts, including the rapid rise of AI and its legal, ethical, and societal implications. Si and Desi explore bias, misinformation, validation,...
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Oxygen Forensics On Smarter, Faster Remote DFIR Collections
Forensic Focus
Keith Lockhart from Oxygen Forensics joins Si and Desi on the Forensic Focus Podcast to examine how remote digital evidence collection is changing investigative workflows across DFIR, eDiscovery, and corporate investigations. Drawing on recent XiB mobile training and real-world deployments, Keith explains where remote and agent-based acquisition delivers practical benefits—and where traditional hands-on methods remain essential. The discussion covers targeted versus full acquisitions, consent and governance in corporate environments, and the operational realities of collecting data across...
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The Idaho Murders: From Behavioural Clues To AI’s Role In Digital Forensics
Forensic Focus
Heather and Jared Barnhart return to the Forensic Focus Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation covering Cellebrite’s growing Case-to-Closure Summit, behind-the-scenes insights from building one of the industry’s toughest CTFs, and their digital forensic work on one of the most high-profile US murder cases in recent years. They share why the C2C Summit focuses on practitioner-led talks rather than product pitches, what made the first event such a success, and what’s planned for the next gathering — including expanded training and a keynote from Terry Crews. The discussion also dives...
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Inside FTK Imager Pro: Vendor-Neutral Forensics, Smarter AI, And Exterro’s Forensic Vision
Forensic Focus
Justin Tolman from Exterro joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to talk about the future of FTK and the role FTK Imager still plays in everyday casework. He explains why the original free version remains available, and what prompted the introduction of Imager Pro with added capabilities like BitLocker decryption and iOS collections. Justin also reflects on his time in law enforcement and training, and why the investigative side of the work still holds a strong pull. Looking ahead, Justin shares where FTK development is headed — from large-scale processing and streamlined review workflows to...
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Inside F3: Building Community And Sharing Knowledge In Digital Forensics
Forensic Focus
Gareth Davies, Chairman of F3 (First Forensic Forum), joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to explore how a grassroots, vendor-neutral community has helped shape digital forensics in the UK for three decades. He traces F3’s origins in the 1990s, when affordable training and tool-agnostic knowledge-sharing were scarce, and explains why the forum still focuses on byte-level, lab-ready techniques over sales pitches. Looking ahead, Gareth previews F3’s 2025 conference in Warwickshire (Nov 18–20), the not-for-profit pricing model, and upcoming trainings on UAVs, software-defined radio,...
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Inside The Fight Against Child Exploitation – Leadership And Wellness Lessons From Debbie Garner
Forensic Focus
Debbie Garner, retired Special Agent in Charge at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to share insights from her 30-year career. From undercover narcotics work in her early 20s to leading Georgia’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Debbie brings a unique perspective on collaboration, child protection, and investigator wellness. She discusses the challenges of cyber tips backlogs, the importance of cross-border cooperation, and why well-being must be built into the culture of child exploitation investigations. Debbie explains how she...
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Well-Being In Digital Forensics And Policing: Insights From Hannah Bailey
Forensic Focus
Hannah Bailey, founder of Blue Light Wellbeing, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to share her powerful journey from frontline policing to becoming a psychotherapist, trauma therapist, and well-being coach. Drawing on 15 years in the police — including CID and major crime — Hannah brings unique cultural credibility to her work supporting digital forensics professionals, first responders, and other high-risk roles. She talks openly about living with PTSD and burnout, facing two breast cancer diagnoses, and how those experiences inspired her to focus on proactive mental health support. Hannah...
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Digital Forensics And Stress: Understanding Your Body’s Signals
Forensic Focus
Dr Zoe Billings and Mark Pannone from Adapt & Evolve join Paul to discuss their unique approach to mental health and well-being in digital forensics. Dr Billings is a biologist and former senior investigator, while Mark is a former Assistant Chief Constable. Together they've developed a model that focuses on recognising the early biological signs of stress rather than waiting for mental health problems to develop. They discuss how stress shows up physically in the body, why many digital forensic investigators feel unheard in their organisations, and why standard well-being support often...
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Well-Being Interventions For Forensic Practitioners – Have Your Say
Forensic Focus
Dr Jo Morrissey joins Paul to discuss her research into wellbeing challenges faced by forensic practitioners worldwide. As Workforce Strategy Lead at the Forensic Capability Network, Dr Morrissey is conducting a comprehensive study examining mental health impacts across all forensic disciplines - from digital forensics to crime scene investigation, DNA analysis, and fingerprint examination. They explore the unique psychological pressures forensic practitioners face, including exposure to traumatic material, working in isolation, and the barriers that prevent many from seeking help. Dr...
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Tom Oldroyd From Semantics 21 On Protecting Investigators And Reducing CSAM Exposure
Forensic Focus
Host Paul Gullon-Scott sits down with Tom Oldroyd, Director of Strategy and Sales at Semantics 21, to discuss S21’s digital forensics platform that prioritizes investigator mental health alongside cutting-edge technology. Drawing on his 17 years in policing and experience running a digital forensic unit, Tom highlights the psychological toll on investigators exposed to disturbing content daily, arguing it's one of the most challenging yet underrecognized jobs in policing. Tom highlights Semantics 21's innovative solutions, including their Global Alliance Database with 3.1 billion hashes that...
info_outlineBlake Sawyer from Amped Software joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss video and image forensics in the US. He shares insights on the challenges of working with low-quality CCTV footage and how Amped Software has grown and been adopted in the US market.
The conversation delves into the role of the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) in developing best practices for the field and how these standards influence product development. It also covers Amped's new DeepPlate technology for license plate recognition and emphasizes the importance of error margins in AI-assisted forensic analysis.
Blake goes on to discuss Amped's certification program and how it complements other industry certifications. He shares real-world case examples, including the "Pillowcase Murders" investigation, highlighting the practical applications of video forensics in solving complex crimes.