When there is a litigation or an investigation taking place, the process of data identification, preservation and collection can be complex.
The feedback we hear from clients is that they often lack the internal resources to complete these complex collections including time, and staff experience and qualifications. Also, many clients' express confusion with regard to what data actually needs to be collected.
Our highly skilled and experienced team of data collection specialists can assist at audit stage or in response to court dictated discovery or investigatory requests. The team can assist from our local branches or travel across the globe, attending on-site to minimise impact on your business (depending on current restrictions).
The Risks of Self-Collection
When deciding whether to manage the process internally or use an external provider it's important to consider the following factors:
- The Potential for Internal Conflict
The process of data identification, preservation and collection can create conflict within the organisation as friendships between the internal investigation team and the staff under investigation are tested against loyalty to the organisation and professional ethics.
This may jeopardise the investigation, so these factors must be taken into consideration.
- The Need to Preserve Defensibility of Evidence
The most important consideration of all is the need to preserve defensibility of the evidence so it is admissible in court. Data needs to be collected in a way that preserves its integrity.
Using a data collection experts from an early stage ensures that all potential data sources relating to the litigation or investigation are identified and considered for preservation and collection.
Our data collection experts utilise methods that ensure the evidence identified is admissible, impartial, repeatable and defensible in court. They safeguard the integrity of the data and maintain full Chain of Custody from identification through to finalisation and, where required, can also prepare and present expert testimonial evidence in court.
Types of Data Collection
Part of the complexity of data collection is the sheer diversity of data now available and collecting from each type of device presents its own risks in terms of preserving defensibility.
Below is a list of the data our team specialises in collecting:
- Hard drive and loose media (i.e. PC's, Apple computers, Laptops, USB drives etc.)
- Portable devices (i.e. Mobile phones, Tablets, GPS, Drones etc.)
- Network (i.e. File Servers, Logical file locations)
- Archived media collections (Backup Tapes)
- Cloud based repositories (i.e. Gmail, Office 365 etc.)
Keeping it Simple
One of the main reasons our clients have approached our data collection team for help is that they needed someone to help them simplify the process.
Not only can we streamline data collection so it is done as efficiently as possible, but we can also conduct in-depth analysis of the acquired data so the important information is accessed quickly. Our team is also skilled in helping organisations identify how electronic evidence can support the investigation, allowing them to get rapidly to the heart of the matter. Our experts can also provide affidavits of the work they perform or act as an independent expert in court if required.
