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Case Study - Workstations for Cyber Forensics
Background
The client is an established provider of specialist digital forensic services, operating within a highly regulated and compliance-driven sector. They deliver a broad range of forensic capabilities that includes phone analysis, computer forensics, and network/location-based investigations.
As you’d expect their work is subject to rigorous accreditation requirements, with laboratory operations certified to internationally recognised quality standards and their personnel bound by formal codes of conduct in line with the requirements of the criminal justice system.
As a result, the organisation operates in an environment where technical integrity, chain of custody, and evidential admissibility are non-negotiable - placing considerable demand on the reliability and performance of their underlying IT infrastructure.
Industry:
Cyber Forensics
Business size:
100+ employees
Hardware:
HP Z8 G4 Workstations
Location:
United Kingdom
Objective
They placed their first order with us last year and, satisfied with how we fulfilled it, came back as their team continued to grow.
Given the nature of their work, the stakes around equipment reliability and performance are exceptionally high - corners simply can't be cut.
With new staff already scheduled to start, there was a firm deadline to meet and a budget to work within. Refurbished hardware made sense on several fronts: significantly lower cost than new equipment freed up budget elsewhere, shorter lead times meant workstations could be built, tested and delivered before the recruitment drive landed, and for an organisation mindful of its environmental responsibilities, it was the more sustainable choice.
Following that recruitment drive they were ready to place another order, and the spec needed to reflect the demands of the role..
This latest order:
13 HP Z8 G4 workstations, built to spec, firmware updated, and shipped with Windows 11 installed, ready to go for a cohort of new analysts.
Dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8160s
48 cores and 96 threads total – maximum multi-threaded performance.
256GB DDR4 ECC RAM
High-capacity memory to prevent data corruption during memory-dump analysis.
56TB Local Storage
Massive on-board capacity for localised evidence retention.
NVIDIA RTX 5000 (16GB)
GPU acceleration for password recovery and AI-driven image recognition.
Huge savings, short lead times and the sustainable option
By sourcing refurbished rather than buying new, the client made a significant saving across the 13-unit order - without compromising on specification or performance. Lead times were considerably shorter than the new equipment market could offer, meaning new starters were equipped and productive without delay.
For an organisation with ESG commitments and government contracts to maintain, the sustainability credentials of refurbished hardware were an added benefit - keeping enterprise-grade equipment in productive use rather than contributing to e-waste. The right spec, at the right price, delivered when it was needed.
They came to us because we had the stock, the right price, and could turn the build around on a lead time that worked for them.
Scott Penman
Sales Account Manager
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