A primer on cyber evidence and its use in litigation.

• Author: Montana, John C.

TITLE: Essentials of Electronic Discovery: Finding and Using Cyber Evidence AUTHORS: Joan Feldman ISBN: 1-888075-09-0 PUBLISHER: Glosser LegalWorks PUBLICATION DATE: 2003 LENGTH: 278 pages PRICE: $195 U.S. SOURCE: www.legalwks.com

These days, most large commercial and governmental organizations are faced with the prospect of discovery of their electronic records as part of a lawsuit, regulatory investigation, or other legal process. Organizations rightly fear such a possibility--electronic records discovery can be a painful and expensive process. Much of it appears to be an arcane business, solely the province of forensic computer experts who probe and recover data in ways that are unknowable to the layman.

One of those forensic experts--and a prominent one at that--has come forward to de-mystify the electronic discovery process. Joan Feldman's Essentials of Electronic Discovery is a 12-chapter, loose-leaf publication covering all the parts and processes involved in electronic discovery.

For serious IT sorts or those who have gone through electronic discovery in the past, much of this publication may not be suitable. A large part of it is elementary, covering basic principles of computer systems, the nuts and bolts of the discovery process, and similar matters. It includes such topics as "What is a Computer System" "Why Ask for E-mail," "What is a Database" and similar matters that may strike the IT professional as too simple to require much reiteration. Legal issues are covered in a similarly broad and non-complex fashion, so again, information managers with litigation experience may find that they are already familiar with the ground covered.

For those new to this whole area who do not have a strong technical or legal background, this publication offers a quick and easy read, covering all the essentials and providing enough background to move forward in this most vexing of records and information management topics. If you need to get up to speed on the whole process in a hurry, this publication may suit your needs well.

Other parts of the publication may well be of interest to everyone, regardless of technical expertise or background. Feldman is a well-known expert in forensic computer discovery, and much of this publication outlines the steps in the forensic process. Even if...