Electronic Discovery Navigator

Forensic Innovations' Detects TrueCrypt and Other Encrypted Files Intentionally Hidden From Computer Forensics Tools

Forensic Innovations' Detects TrueCrypt and Other Encrypted Files Intentionally Hidden From Computer Forensics Tools

"Raising the bar in the Electronic Discovery industry, Fishers based Forensic Innovations, Inc. is now able to detect TrueCrypt, and other encryption data hiding techniques. The newly released File Investigator version 2.23 continues in their plan of supporting more file types (currently supporting 3,312) than any other product in the industry. Along with the 141 added file types, the accuracy of 78 existing file types was improved. Add to that the ability to identify more encryption file formats (including the elusive TrueCrypt) , and this version is truly a leap forward in advancing the state of the art in the analysis and filtering of Electronically Stored Information (ESI). http://www.forensicinnovations.com.

TrueCrypt has earned a reputation for simplifying the process of encrypting your data, as well as hiding it. On their web site, www.TrueCrypt.org, they claim that "no TrueCrypt volume can be identified (volumes cannot be distinguished from random data)." That was true, until now. "

Wake-Up Call on Slipshod Search Terms

Wake-Up Call on Slipshod Search Terms

"Given the ubiquitous use of general purpose search engines such as Google and attorneys' routine use of legal search engines such as Westlaw and LexisNexis, it is perhaps surprising that lawyers frequently falter in formulating search terms, or "keywords," designed to retrieve relevant e-mails and other electronically stored information.

Nevertheless, courts have time and again confronted haphazard and uncoordinated search methodologies for ESI.

Evidently weary of deficient keyword searches, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Peck recently issued a self-styled "wake-up call" to members of the bar in the Southern District. Instead of attorneys designing keywords without adequate information "by the seat of their pants," Peck appealed for keyword formulations based on careful thought, quality control, testing and cooperation. "

eDiscovery Legal Minefield Migraines

eDiscovery Legal Minefield Migraines

"With compliance discovery typically averaging out at a million US dollars per legal case, the whole area of retrieving all digital dialog around a dispute is the time and money sink that stresses IT staff and slows line of business technology adoption.

Legal compliance touches all parts of business, from the dullest process work to the most exciting research and development, and from the smallest project to trawling through terrabytes of email archives and electronically stored information (ESI)  for all relevant correspondence.

The legal restrictions that large company legal departments design to comply with international information retention legislation - typically blanket global standards - are what IT departments are tasked to enforce.

The email archiving, retrieval and packaging for corporate lawyers industry is huge - the legal profession is a bastion of the document and email culture. This is the way the legal profession has worked for hundreds of years from back office to day in court."

Data classfication best practices

Data classfication best practices

"Data classification benefits from a team effort, whether the exercise is associated with a storage tiering project to manage resources more effectively, an e-discovery initiative in response to a lawsuit or some other result.

What follow is a list of best practices to help storage managers establish data classification strategies.

1. Identify the sources and types of data across your organization. Before classifying data and figuring out which information should be retained, backed up, archived or deleted, it helps to know the applications the organization uses, the value they represent, the types of data they produce and the access patterns.

2. Establish data categories before making technology decisions. What data constitutes a record, and do records need to be stored separately? Do intellectual property documents need to be grouped together? Determining the criteria by which you need to classify information will have an impact on a host of other decisions, so it pays to nail down categories first."