Electronic discovery is the process of retrieving useful data and information from electronic sources. With the increasing use of electronic devices for data transfer and storage, obtaining valuable information from the millions of data pages is an arduous task. Moreover, electronic discovery is very important for dealing with litigations and government investigations. It is also required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Electronic evidence can be obtained from user files, backup media, spreadsheets, CAD/CAM/CAE and graphics, personnel records, policy and procedure manuals, software and source code, internet and intranet content, internet service providers, fax servers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), telephone /security / network activity systems, cell phones, pagers, voice/video mail and special databases such as CRM or ERP. The main aspects to be considered are the type of data to be collected, the potential sources of the required data, identification of the people who are likely to have access to the data, and the most likely places where high amounts of data can be found.

It is very important to understand an organization