Government Invetigation
Information is power, and it can be used in different ways. Again, there are a variety of ways in which you can find information, either manually or in electronic form. Information that is stored in the electronic form is different from the one on papers because of the uncertain nature that it possesses. The information is also in large volume and can feature metadata which cannot be made possible with the paper.
Have you ever heard of eDiscovery? Well, if it were Top Dog Days Alton Tower Offers, then a majority of us would have known it, but eDiscovery is a lot less attractive and an acute service. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, this is the process where electronic data is searched, located, secured and sought so that it can be used as evidence in a civil or criminal case.
So, what makes this type of data perfect for investigation? Well, there are several reasons why the digital data is more preferred for investigation. Here are some of the main reasons.
- The data is easier to search as compared to the paperwork.
- Destroying digital data is difficult.
- It can include audio files, text, images, calendar files, animation, spreadsheets and much more.
eDiscovery is a practice that is commonly used by the government for investigation. Let me take you through the best practices for an efficient eDiscovery management in government investigations.
Mapping Data Landscape
For an effective eDiscovery, it is important if you work hand in hand with your service provider before being summoned to the court. Understanding the landscape is critical in determining whether the eDiscovery is fair. For instance, several things need to be identified such as how your company archives emails, whether you use cloud servers and the type of electronic platform that the employees use along with a few other minor details.
Collection of Data
After the parties have agreed on where the information will be secured, the next step is to identify the goals. You also need to know that the data collection strategies used in government investigations can differ from the one that is employed in the commercial litigations. It means that the government is more likely to provide a longer duration of open-minded investigation then get back to the data collection.
Privacy Law
Working closely with your eDiscovery provider to determine the relevance of private laws is also important. Currently, the need is to have in mind that your team complies with the EUUS privacy shield standard. Your team should strictly adhere to the necessary data privacy laws and collectively assess the privacy requirements that affect the collection of data.
Onsite Collection, Remote Data Collection, and Quality Maintenance
An onsite collection of data is important because it provides the best certainty along with the legal defense, and gives room to participate with your corporation. In other instances, it is impossible to apply the on-site team, and this calls for the remote data collection. It is the process that involves the shipment of hard drives prepared by the forensics team.
Quality control is also an important practice. There are some ways in which this can be done, for instance, assessing the disk images for encryptions to protect the stored data.
Data Assessment
After all the required data is collected, some useful filtering tools can be used at the initial stage to make the data more manageable. It involves getting rid of irrelevant or redundant documents. Some of the tools that can be utilized include detection of duplicate contents, conceptual search, email threading and content clustering among others.
The Use of Technology-Assisted Review and Secure Data Transfer
eDiscovery involves a lot of costs which can be huge in government investigations where the lawyers engage into one on one interview. The use of technology-assisted review can be applied so that you can get a qualified law firm with the required knowledge of reviewing the documents.
Once the data has been obtained, it is important to ensure that the data is secured. In this case, it is important to make sure that there are strict login credentials so that the information can be safe from protrudes.
Hosting Platform and Strict Protocols
You also need to understand that hosting rules are different. Therefore, you need to look for a hosting platform with the best security.
Lastly, ensure that you adhere to strict protocols and meet the relevant deadlines to get the right information. You can work in close collaboration with your team to come up with the best protocol. With the adoption of the right eDiscovery tips, one can achieve efficient eDiscovery in government investigations.