VeHOLD™ is an automated litigation hold solution that enables clients to fully engage a litigation hold from the designated administrator’s desktop. The administrator simply inputs the requisite criteria (date range, custodian, file type, terms), and VeHOLD will identify, collect and preserve relevant Electronically Stored Information (“ESI”) from designated data and/or e-mail servers without the need for custodial or IT assistance.
VeHOLD was designed to minimize the risk of spoliation due to inadvertent or intentional destruction of relevant ESI by automating the collection and quarantine process. Simply, VeHOLD operates on a nightly basis indexing all additions and edits to the pre-existing data storage pool so when a potential litigation is recognized the automated application can be engaged to identify and quarantine ESI particular to that matter.
◊ Meeting criteria as set forth in Zubalake and Pension Committee
◊ Eliminating the need for, and potential mishaps associated with custodial and/or IT collection of ESI
◊ Minimizing exposure to sanctions due to spoliation of ESI by inadvertent or intentional destruction of ESI
◊ Managing and engaging a litigation hold from a desk top
◊ Collecting forensically and legally defensible ESI
◊ Assessing and filtering ESI prior to actual collection
◊ Reducing costs associated with exponential and unnecessary collection of non relevant ESI
◊ Managing and updating litigation hold as warranted
◊ Providing a simple interface that expedites issuance and management of a litigation hold
◊ Automating the collection of ESI so no business interruption occurs
◊ Creating a cost-effective application that is tailored to client’s demand
How VeHOLD Operates
The VeHOLD application consists of three modules that work in conjunction to crawl the designated servers, index the data nightly and be ready to identify relevant and quarantine relevant ESI.
1. Enterprise Indexing Module
2. Criteria Creation Module
3. Criteria Matching Module
Enterprise Indexing Module (EIM)
The EIM is a crawler based data indexing tool that integrates into the existing network. At intervals that are determined by the client, the system is re-indexed using a differential crawling method; i.e., searching only for those files that have changes or have been added since the last crawl. While the initial indexing may require several days to complete, the use of this differential crawling techniques allow the data to be subsequently updated very quickly. At the completion of the system indexing, the available file metadata and the file text is
stored in a relational database. Because it is not necessary to store the actual file in this database, a single terabyte server can warehouse the text from several terabytes of data, keeping a link to the original file for capturing if necessary.
Criteria Creation Module (CCM)
This information is stored in the CCM in a source location table. The CCM is constructed with an information screen that allows the user to select the criteria that is required for the collection of documents. Once the criterion has been created, it is saved under the matter number or case name. This screen is customized to the exact needs of the client, containing the system locations, users, file types, etc. After the criteria has been set, the information is forwarded to the Criteria Matching Module for processing.
Criteria Matching Module (CMM)
The CMM utilizes the criteria created in the CCM to identify and forensically quarantine all files that match the case criteria. The ESI pool is filtered and as files are identified as matching the criteria, the file hash (unique mathematical sum of a file) is recorded and the file is forensically copied to a database on a VeHOLD server.
During the collection phase, files are automatically compared to the hash total of file collected previously and if duplicates are identified, just the location and metadata are stored to eliminate the requirement of storing duplicate files. At the completion of the criteria matching, files are forensically removed from the storage database to an external storage device for permanent quarantine. At the completion of the collection and quarantine process, a complete set of audit logs will also be added to the file set as documentation for the file quarantine.
VeHOLD is a trademark of Visual Evidence / E-Discovery LLC and used with permission
