Why are electronic documents so significant?

In 1998, an article released in the New York Law Journal estimated that 30% of all corporate data existed only in electronic formats. Due to the recognition of email by society since this time, this percentage is estimated to exceed by 50%. In order to perform a comprehensive electronic discovery, this information needs to be reviewed. Otherwise, the potential exists that over 50% of all potential evidence may be left unexamined.

What is the difference between electronic and paper documents?

The major difference between electronic and paper documents is found in the chronology of the document itself. In a paper document there is a certain amount of information that you cannot determine, such as who the author is, when it was created, were any drafts created prior to the finalized copy, etc. When you are in possession of an electronic document it is possible to determine these details.

Why can’t the company's IT department carry out the discovery motion?

There are numerous reasons why trying to perform electronic discovery in-house is challenging: • Modern electronic discovery methods require specific, extensive, and continual Knowledge and training. • To properly pull out data from a broad range of sources requires specialized equipment and technology. • There is a probable lack of objectivity and the capability to testify as a disinterested 3rd party. • Most IT managers are not knowledgeable in or responsible for all of the potential data sources. • Members of IT departments normally don’t comprehend the legal principles and ramifications associated with assembling and analyzing electronic records.

What is the general procedure when a qualified computer forensics professional completes the electronic discovery process?

The computer forensics professional’s duty is to capture and preserve all potentially relevant information, systematically extract unwanted information & identify the relevant data, finally producing the data in a format that the parties can use throughout the discovery phase.

How is relevant data found?

Relevant data is found using a number of different methods. Using hardware and software, a systematic process is recognized to find particular pieces of data by searching for documents created or modified on certain dates, keywords within documents, by author or even document types.