Caution: The Investigation Tool returns 30 days of data from Gmail logs and 180 days of data from all other logs. You can export Google Workspace logs and usage reports to Big Query. Over time this gives you access to data past the 6 month window. See Export your Google Logs to BigQuery for a Big Win.
From Alerts to investigations
You can launch into the investigation tool from the alert center by simply clicking the investigation tool icon (magnifying glass), which pre-populates and opens in a new tab automatically.
From Security Dashboard to investigations
The Security Dashboard may surface trends or issues that you want to investigate further. You can pivot to the Investigation Tool directly from the dashboard.