An Extended Model for E-Discovery Operations

Most models created for electronic discovery (e-discovery) in legal proceedings tend to ignore the technical aspects mainly because they assume that only traditional digital forensic tasks are involved. However, this assumption is incorrect. The time frames for conducting e-discovery procedures are very restricted, and investigations are carried out in real time with strict non-disclosure dispositions and changing demands as the cases unfold. This paper presents an augmented model and architecture for e-discovery designed to cope with the technological complexities in real-world scenarios. It also discusses how e-discovery operations should be handled to ensure cooperation between digital forensic professionals and legal teams while guaranteeing that non-disclosure agreements and information confidentiality are preserved.