E-Discovery and Litigation Data
Defensibility
Chain of custody records who collected data, when, using what method, and every subsequent transfer, with hash verification confirming the data was not altered. Documentation accompanies the evidence.
It supports authentication and rebuts alteration challenges.
Alternative Names:
Electronic Chain of Custody, Digital Chain of Custody
Why it Matters?
Chain of custody matters most where the evidence is central and the opposing party has reason to challenge it, such as a critical email or a device image. Hash verification at each step is what makes the chain provable rather than merely asserted. Gaps are most often introduced by informal handling, such as a file emailed between team members without documentation, which is difficult to reconstruct after the fact.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What documents chain of custody for ESI?
Where do gaps usually originate?
