New Forensic Survey Finds 81% of Investigators Struggled to Access Digital Evidence

A new industry survey has revealed significant obstacles facing public-sector digital forensic investigators, with 81% of respondents reporting difficulties accessing electronic evidence they believed existed during the previous 12 months.

The findings come from Magnet Forensics' inaugural Public Sector Digital Investigations Report, released in November 2026 and highlighted in forensic industry coverage on November 11.

The company surveyed 306 professionals working with digital evidence, including forensic examiners, investigators, laboratory managers, and legal specialists.

Digital evidence is increasingly central to criminal investigations, with smartphones, computers, vehicles, connected devices, and online services potentially containing information relevant to reconstructing events.

However, identifying a possible source of evidence does not guarantee that investigators can retrieve or interpret its contents.

According to the survey, 65% of respondents identified device encryption and passwords as obstacles to evidence access.

Additionally, 68% reported that obtaining relevant digital evidence now takes longer than it did two years earlier.

Access limitations were associated with investigative delays for 63% of respondents, while 44% reported being unable to pursue potentially relevant leads because of these restrictions.

Evidence sharing presented another significant challenge.

Approximately 69% said problems involving evidence transfers, collaboration, or handoffs slowed investigations.

Despite increasing interest in digital evidence management platforms, 65% reported that their organizations continued using physical storage media, including USB drives and external hard drives, to transfer evidence.

The report also examined the growing presence of manipulated and AI-generated media.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they had encountered synthetic, manipulated, or AI-generated content during investigations.

However, only 17% expressed confidence in their agency's ability to identify such material.

This difference highlights the challenge of establishing the authenticity of digital evidence when convincing synthetic images, videos, and audio recordings are increasingly accessible.

The findings do not establish that 83% of agencies are incapable of detecting manipulated media. They measure respondents' reported confidence rather than independently tested detection accuracy.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of investigative workflows.

Forty-one percent of respondents reported using AI-assisted technologies, although concerns remained about accuracy, false positives, and the defensibility of automated findings.

When asked about possible improvements, 84% believed stronger integration between investigative tools, teams, and workflow stages would improve outcomes.

The survey also emphasized the importance of validated procedures, clear documentation, and professional training.

Nevertheless, the research relies on self-reported responses from a surveyed professional group. It does not independently measure investigative performance or establish that the findings represent every public-sector forensic organization worldwide.

Because Magnet Forensics develops commercial investigative software, its recommendations should also be interpreted in that context.

The findings provide a useful snapshot of operational challenges facing digital forensic professionals, particularly in evidence acquisition, information sharing, and the verification of potentially manipulated material.