SaaS Platforms As Undiscovered Repositories
SA AS DISCOVERY · A GUIDE FOR UK LAWYERS SaaS Platforms as Undiscovered Repositories Finding, Preserving and Collecting the Business Records That Live Inside Applications COMPUTER FORENSICS LAB
§ ABOUT THE AUTHOR PREPARED BY COMPUTER FORENSICS LAB E-DISCOVERY TEAM
§ CONTENTS In this guide 01 Executive summary 02 The problem in plain English: the record moved into the app 03 Finding the platforms: mapping the SaaS estate a business actually uses 04 What each kind holds: CRM, project, HR, support, finance and messaging 05 The structured record: fields, history, comments and audit trails 06 Preservation and collection: holds, exports, APIs and the format problem 07 Deployment: disclosure obligations, proportionality and the audit trail's power 08 Source architecture: where else the evidence lives 09 Worked examples 10 Common mistakes and technical limitations 11 Questions to ask · Suggested wording 12 Checklist and red flags · When to involve a digital forensic expert 13 Frequently asked questions 14 Glossary · References · Disclaimer · How a specialist laboratory can assist
§ 01 · ORIENTATION Executive summary THE HEADLINE POINT: BUSINESSRECORDSINCREASINGLYLIVEINSIDESAAS APPLICATION S THAT NO EMAIL - AND - DRIVESDISCLOSUREEXERCISEWILLFIND: MAP THEESTATEFROMENDPOINTS, NETWORKANDEXPENSES; PRESERVEEACHPLATFORM AGAINSTITSOWNRETENTION; ANDCOLLECTITSSTRUCTUREDRECORDSANDAUDIT TRAILS, WHICHFREQUENTLYANSWERTHECASEMOREDIRECTLYTHANANYDOCUMENT
§ 02 · FIRST PRINCIPLES The problem in plain English: the record moved into the app
§ 03 · FINDING THE PLATFORM S Finding the platforms: mapping the SaaS estate a business actually uses
§ 04 · WHATEACHKINDHOLDS What each kind holds: CRM, project, HR, support, finance and messaging
§ 05 · THESTRUCTUREDRECORD The structured record: fields, history, comments and audit trails
§ 06 · PRESERVATION AND COLLECTION Preservation and collection: holds, exports, APIs and the format problem
§ 07 · DEPLOYMENT Deployment: disclosure obligations, proportionality and the audit trail's power
§ 08 · THEWIDERMAP Source architecture: where else the evidence lives QUESTION PLATFORM COUNTERPARTIES THE ITSELF INTEGRATION END POINT IDENTIT Y + PROVIDER REFLECTIONS TRACES NETWORK RECORDS
§ 09 · IN THE WILD Worked examples EXAMPLE1 · THECUSTODIANWITHNODOCUMENTSANDACRMFULLOFTHEM EXAMPLE2 · THEPROJECTTOOLTHATHELDTHEREALCHRONOLOGY EXAMPLE3 · THEPROPORTIONATECOLLECTIONTHATAVOIDEDTHEWHOLESALEONE
§ 10 · WHEREITGOESWRONG Common mistakes and technical limitations Common mistakes Technical limitations
§ 11 · INTERROGATORIES & DRAFTING AIDS Questions to ask · Suggested wording Ask your client Ask your opponent Ask your e Discovery / forensic provider PROTOCOL
§ 12 · QUICK CONTROL Checklist and red flags · When to involve a digital forensic expert The SaaS-discovery checklist Red flags When to involve a digital forensic expert
§ 13 · COMMON QUESTIONS Frequently asked questions A key witness says they have almost no relevant documents. Is that the end of it? How do we even find out what SaaS platforms a business uses? Can data in a CRM or project tool really be collected for disclosure? What makes the audit trail so useful? The other side wants "all our HR system data". Do we have to extract everything? What if a record was changed or deleted in the app?
§ 14 · REFERENCE Glossary CRM SSO Sources and authoritative references DISCLAIMER
§ HOW A SPECIALIST LABORATORY CAN ASSIST Working with Computer Forensics Lab Speak to a forensic examiner, not a salesperson. INSTRUCTTHELAB NEWENQUIRIESEMAILE - DISCOVERY
Cite as: Joseph Naghdi, SaaS Platforms As Undiscovered Repositories, Computer Forensics Lab, https://e-discovery.uk/library/saas-platforms-as-undiscovered-repositories/pdf.