The chapter further described the challenges posed by the rapidly increasing size of datasets that makes it difficult to seek digital evidence without considerable expenditure of time, money, and human resources. The questionability of conventional forensic image protection has also been highlighted. The continuing use of forensic imaging is predicted to become less prevalent because of the concomitant increase in the size of secure data stores to preserve the evidence and related resource costs. The use of better tools to process large datasets, identify important evidence, and preserve it in more modest storage sizes is urgently needed.
The chapter introduced the evidence-searching automaton and demonstrated its value through testing and casework, confirming its effectiveness in overcoming challenges posed to practitioners, with some encouraging results being observed. Such processes offered in the suite of tools should attract the attention of practitioners, not just in the e-discovery...