MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The adoption of predictive coding, the continued proliferation of data on personal devices and cybersecurity concerns were among the biggest trends impacting the ediscovery industry in 2014, according to a year-end survey from leading ediscovery products and services provider Kroll Ontrack. The trends underscore how Big Data is driving the evolution of the practice of law.
Predictive coding: Greater deployment among both law firms and
corporations
This year was marked with growing acceptance for
using predictive coding in ediscovery matters. Forty percent of the 550
law firm and corporate ediscovery professionals surveyed reported using
predictive coding technology on at least one matter in 2014, showing an
increased willingness to rely on this technology to increase efficiency
and reduce costs. The overall acceptance of predictive coding was higher
among law firms, with 47 percent reporting use compared to 35 percent of
corporations.
The use cases for predictive coding also expanded in 2014. While 73 percent noted using it for discovery productions, 47 percent cited also using it for early case assessment and 31 percent used it for pre-litigation investigations.
“Predictive coding is finally catching on,” said Joe White, senior discovery services consultant, Kroll Ontrack. “While we have discussed for years its ability to dramatically decrease costs over standard linear review, there is a growing consensus that recognizes it as more than just a discovery productions tool. It is an effective means to cull through mountains of data to quickly identify relevant documents – meaning the potential scope of application is limitless.”
New forms of ESI: Social media, BYOD and IoT emerge in ediscovery
matters
The growth and proliferation of social media and
personal devices spawned new collection sources for ediscovery matters
in 2014. In fact, over 50 percent of law firms and corporations reported
that they were involved in a matter with social media data. Similarly,
58 percent of survey respondents reported that they had at least one
ediscovery matter involving personal devices (BYOD), and 26 percent said
BYOD devices played a role in three or more ediscovery matters in 2014.
Internet of Things (IoT) data is likely to be a growing source of new litigation data within the next decade, with 29 percent of respondents preparing for its impact on ediscovery. Thirty-eight percent reported they have made no preparations for IoT and 33 percent have never heard of the IoT.
“The Internet gave us the opportunity to connect with people in ways that we never thought possible. However, the IoT will take us beyond person-to-person connections to become part of a global ecosystem of online devices and humans,” said Michele Lange, director, Kroll Ontrack. “With this growing global Internet ecosystem, ediscovery and security issues abound.”
Cybersecurity: A big risk
With all the data breaches,
security was a weighty topic in 2014. Sixty-two percent of respondents
indicated that security concerns impacted their organizational
ediscovery practices in some way. Specifically, 31 percent held internal
discussions to reaffirm security protocols, 23 percent made changes to
security infrastructure and eight percent hired a security consultant.
The remainder of respondents, 38 percent, stated security had no impact
on ediscovery practices in 2014.
2015: A focus on information governance and analytics
Corporations
and law firms understand that Big Data is only going to get bigger, and
a focus on information governance and analytics can help legal teams
respond accordingly. When asked what ediscovery topic will take center
stage in 2015, 26 percent cited information governance practices with an
equal percentage (26%) noting improved use of analytics to deal with
growing demands to preserve and process data.
“Ediscovery is really much more sophisticated than it has ever been,” added Lange. “Whether it is technology used to advance review protocols, govern data, respond to mass security threats or prepare for emerging file formats and devices, ediscovery professionals are adapting and evolving. Kroll Ontrack is proud to partner with law firms and corporations in tackling the ediscovery challenges of 2015 and beyond.”
For a full copy of the 2014 Year in Review survey visit: www.ediscovery.com/2014-ediscovery-trends.
About Kroll Ontrack Inc.
Kroll Ontrack provides
technology-driven services and software to help legal, corporate and
government entities as well as consumers manage, recover, search,
analyze and produce data efficiently and cost-effectively. In addition
to its award-winning suite of software, Kroll Ontrack provides data
recovery, data destruction, electronic discovery and document review.
For more information about Kroll Ontrack and its offerings please visit: www.krollontrack.com
or follow @KrollOntrack on Twitter.
