Technical methods and scope
A Handling Plan That Follows the Data Through the Matter
We map how privileged communications, trade secrets, personal, health and financial records move from source authentication through transfer, processing, review, production and approved disposition. The plan names the systems, the regions, the people, the vendors and the contract terms at each step, so the controls apply to the matter's real workflow rather than to a generic diagram. Global Digital Forensics has practiced since 1992 and brings a cybersecurity practice to the discovery table, which means the handling plan is written by people who examine breaches as their daily work.
When a client is choosing a platform, we compare the security representations with the actual architecture and the current assurance material for the selected platform, region and workflow. Exceptions and shared responsibilities are written down, so the team decides how data will be handled before it moves rather than discovering a gap afterward.
Identity, Access and Audit Records That Answer Who Did What
We document roles for collection staff, administrators, reviewers, counsel, clients and vendors, covering single sign on, multifactor authentication, least privilege, temporary access approval and removal, administrative rights, session handling and separation between matters. The resulting matrix states who may download, export, delete, invite users or change settings, and who approved it.
We define the user and administrator audit events the matter requires, the time source, the retention period, the export path and who reviews the log. Authentication, searches, coding, exports, redactions, productions and configuration changes are checked against what the platform actually records, and any gap is written into the matter record together with the control that covers it.
Ask a discovery specialist how this fits your matter; the first consultation is free.
Encryption, Keys and Transfers That Can Be Reconciled
We confirm encryption in transit and at rest, who holds the keys and how they are separated, the transfer methods and the integrity verification applied to every movement. The record also retains the source scope, the filters, the exceptions and the platform logs, because the hash proves the transferred bytes arrived intact while the scope and log records prove the export covered what was requested.
For large transfers and portal uploads we document the approved endpoints, authentication arrangements, expiry, retries, partial transfers and reconciliation. Portable media, where it is unavoidable, receives agreed encryption, custody and return or destruction instructions.
Hosting Location, Subprocessors, Retention and Deletion
Before collection we identify the hosting regions, any international transfer limits, the subprocessors involved, backup locations and the legal or contractual restrictions that apply. The review rests on the actual data flows and provider information, so the transfer mechanism chosen for the matter fits how the data really moves.
The retention plan accounts for exports, working copies, review sets, productions, logs, backups and recovery copies, because data copied for review has a way of outliving the case. At closing the record identifies what was returned, what was retained under instruction, what was deleted and what stays under a continuing hold, along with any technical limitation that delays final deletion.
Send the custodians and the deadline and the first call sets the collection plan.
Assurance Evidence and Incident Response for Legal Teams
Where a provider offers independent reports, certification scopes, test summaries, vulnerability management records, continuity test results or incident procedures, we read the covered systems, the dates, the exceptions and the required customer controls to establish which of that evidence actually applies to the proposed service. We describe our own controls in the same plain terms, as what they are and how they operate.
The engagement and processing terms define incident contacts, timing, decision authority, preservation and cooperation. If something goes wrong, the technical plan coordinates containment with the relevant logs and the affected data and keeps counsel supplied with the facts any notice decision needs.
Bring the protective order and the client's security questions to a free initial consultation and we will draft the handling plan with you before any data is collected.