New Investigation Reveals How Widely Oxygen Forensics Software Was Used by U.S. Agencies

A new investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has revealed the extent to which Oxygen Forensics software was used by U.S. government agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense.

The investigation comes after U.S. prosecutors charged Oxygen Forensics CEO Lee Reiber and Russian national Oleg Davydov over allegations that the company concealed its Russian ownership and control. Prosecutors have not alleged that the software contained malicious code or was used to access customer systems without authorization.

RFE/RL also reported that a former Secret Service agent demonstrated the software in 2024, describing how it was used to extract tens of thousands of files, including deleted data, from a copy of Hunter Biden's laptop.

The investigation found that Oxygen's U.S. and Russian versions were reportedly the same software, while the Russian operation supplied technology to Russian law-enforcement and security agencies.

The Secret Service said it stopped using Oxygen software in February 2026 after identifying security risks. The agency said the software had been used only in air-gapped environments and that there was no evidence that sensitive information had been compromised.

The case raises a broader digital-forensics concern: the security and ownership of forensic tools can become part of the evidence-integrity equation itself.