ORLANDO — A phone number or email address can give investigators a place to start. Finding the connections that turn that lead into a next step can take considerably longer.
SS8 is targeting that gap with Discovery, a cloud-native platform that correlates investigative information, automates parts of the review process and alerts investigators to relevant activity as a case develops.
“Investigators think they have a data problem, but really they have a time problem,” said Andy Force, vice president of U.S. government sales at SS8.
At IACP 2026, Force described how investigators can use Discovery to work outward from a single identifier, examine relationships and determine what information to pursue next.
Connecting information across an investigation
Force compared investigative analysis to finding pieces of a needle scattered across multiple haystacks.
An individual record or communication may provide only part of the information investigators need. Understanding its significance requires connecting it with other records, relationships or locations.
SS8 Discovery correlates that information and presents it for further analysis, helping investigators identify leads and prepare intelligence reports, Force said.
The process can begin with a single identifier, such as a phone number or email address. Investigators enter that identifier into Discovery to examine related information available within the platform.
From there, they can explore connections, build out the case and determine what additional information they need to obtain.
For an investigator using Discovery day to day, that means starting with what has already been collected and using the resulting connections to guide further work.
AI-assisted analysis to reduce manual review
Alongside data correlation, Discovery includes AI-assisted capabilities intended to automate tasks that would otherwise require investigators to review material manually.
Force identified image recognition, voice analytics, speaker identification, translation and transcription among those capabilities.
Those tools can help investigators work through different types of material and locate information relevant to a case. Transcription, for example, provides text for review, while translation can help investigators examine communications in another language.
Force emphasized that the purpose is to support the investigator’s work.
“It’s not replacing the investigator,” he said.
He identified three priorities for the platform: correlating relevant information, providing AI and analytics tools, and presenting findings in a way that supports judicial requirements.
Together, those capabilities are intended to help investigators move from collected material to information they can evaluate and use in the next stage of a case.
Using alerts to monitor developing threats
Discovery also supports real-time alerts, allowing investigators to monitor for activity relevant to an ongoing investigation.
Force offered a hypothetical murder-for-hire investigation as an example. Investigators reviewing collected communications might already know particular code words or names from earlier work on the case.
They could configure alerts for those terms to flag conversations for further review.
An alert would give investigators a starting point for examining the communication and correlating it with other available information, including associated locations.
The example illustrates how Discovery can support both an initial review of collected material and continued monitoring as a case develops.
Rather than treating analysis as a single search, investigators can establish alerts tied to what they have learned and use new information to refine the investigation.
Adding location intelligence to the case
Location intelligence is another part of Discovery’s investigative workflow, according to Force.
Investigators can establish geofences around areas of interest and configure alerts associated with mobile devices entering or leaving those areas.
Force also described meeting-detection capabilities that can help investigators examine potential encounters involving subjects or devices.
If investigators have information about an anticipated meeting, for example, they can configure relevant alerts and review resulting activity alongside other case information.
The purpose is to connect location information with the communications and relationships investigators are already examining.
Force identified organized crime, border-related investigations and corrections among the settings in which SS8’s technology can be used. He also described work involving the identification of contraband devices brought into prisons.
Across those applications, the investigative task remains similar: determine which information matters, connect it to the case and monitor for relevant developments.
Turning findings into reports and dashboards
As investigators develop a case, Discovery supports the creation of reports and dashboards, Force said.
An investigator assembling the case can use the platform to correlate information and document findings. Dashboards can also provide a management view of the investigation.
Force identified presenting information in a manner consistent with judicial standards as a priority, alongside correlation and analytics.
For agencies evaluating Discovery, that makes the reporting workflow part of the broader assessment: how investigators move from an identifier to connected information, establish alerts and organize findings for further review.
Implementation based on the agency’s mission
Force said SS8 can deploy Discovery for a specific investigative need or as part of a broader agency solution.
“As a technology company, we are able to meet them where their mission is,” he said.
An agency focused on a particular communications-interception use case, for example, could receive implementation, training and support tailored to that work. An agency seeking a broader investigative platform could take a more comprehensive approach.
Force said that process begins with understanding the mission and how investigators need to use the technology.
The same time pressure that shapes an individual investigation also informs the platform’s broader purpose. As threats and technologies change, investigators need to find relevant information and decide how to respond.
For Force, that is the central problem Discovery is designed to address.
“Like I started with, it’s all about time,” he said.
Learn more at SS8 Discovery.
