Episode 172: Forensic Evidence Preservation and E-Discovery (Domain 4)

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Once digital evidence is collected, preserving it and producing it responsibly are the next critical steps—and in this episode, we focus on maintaining evidentiary integrity through preservation and e-discovery. Preservation involves storing forensic images, logs, or artifacts in tamper-resistant formats with strong access controls and documented retention procedures. We discuss legal holds, which are internal directives to preserve relevant data once litigation is anticipated, and how that intersects with IT and security teams. E-discovery, or electronic discovery, is the legal process of identifying, collecting, and producing electronic information in response to a legal request or investigation. It requires careful filtering, relevance analysis, and documentation to ensure admissibility and compliance with laws like the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Forensic preservation isn’t just about keeping data—it’s about doing so in a way that can stand up to legal scrutiny.