F
ew resources are more valuable and
vulnerable than data. It is an organi-
zation's connection to the past and
the foundation upon which future
strategies are built. What's more,
data is often a lynch pin in modern
litigation, making it a resource that
organizations must protect and pro-
duce when requested.
Traditionally, managing that all-important data
has been a matter of committing it to tape and stor-
ing it in a presumably secure location, but poten-
tially subject to spoliation due to degradation. And
while this method may have been enough to uphold
an organization's retention policy, the advance of
digitization techniques and the shrinking cost of
data storage has given way to more reliable – and
ultimately, more responsible – alternatives.
That's not to say our trust in data tapes has been
misguided. Indeed, it's been the only choice for
decades. What we know now, however, is that this
type of "legacy media" is susceptible to corruption,
damage, or loss over time. And even when those
Sponsored by
The Case for
Data Digitization
By Joseph Coltson, Forensic Technology Partner, and Corey Fotheringham,
Forensic Technology Partner, KPMG in Canada
tapes are retrieved after years
of storage, there's no guarantee
that their owner will have the
device necessary to read them.
Perhaps a greater risk of
relying solely on data tapes is
the cost. When and if organiza-
tions are obligated to produce
information from thousands
of tapes, the time it takes to
retrieve the data and the cost
of doing so on a per-incident
basis can be considerable.
As mentioned, however,
there is a better way. There
now exists the technology
and expertise to extract data
from old tapes, deduplicate it,
digitize it, and archive it on
an easily-accessible platform.
The outcome of this "defen-
sible disposition" process is a
central infrastructure where
live, reliable data can be pulled
up when it is required. Costs
are reduced, information is
more secure, and the risk of
facing penalties or litigation
due to the mishandling of data
is significantly reduced.
Naturally, making the
transition to a defensible
disposition is an investment.
Compared to the costs (and
time) required to retrieve data
from tapes on a case-by-case
basis, however, it's one that
more and more organizations
are content to make. And in an
age where data is everything,
knowing your most valuable
resource is secure, uncorrupted,
and easily accessible is know-
ing you can move forward with
fewer risks and greater peace
of mind.
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LEXPERT MAGAZINE
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