Backup tapes are important. Aside from the fact that backup tapes can save a company’s data in the event of a software failure, hard drive failure, or a database corruption… backing up a company’s data on a regular basis should be a part of every IT department’s disaster recovery plan.

As part of that plan, IT departments should test and validate that the backups are in fact backing up data and is able to be restored. Most companies assume that once the backup is running everything will be safe. However, not many IT departments routinely check the error logs to discover problems. And only when a disaster occurs do they realized that the scheduled backups have not been collecting all of the data.

You may have noticed some unusual behavior from your significant other such as spending a lot of time ‘at work’ or perhaps more time than normal ‘out with friends’. These are the obvious signals that something could be going on. However, the more subtle indicators that you are being lied to are conveniently hidden from your view.

“The subprime loan debacle will make it more difficult for borrowers to get mortgages and will cause U.S. home prices to fall this year for the first time on record”, the National Association of Realtors said.

“The 2007 median price for an existing home likely will decline 0.7 percent to $220,300, the first drop since the real estate trade group began keeping records in 1968 and probably the first decline since the Great Depression,” said Lawrence Yun, an economist with the Chicago-based association

New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure became law on December 1st, 2006, which most corporate lawyers and attorneys are either unfamiliar with or have not been required to use.

There are three rules specifically that impact Computer Forensics and E-Discovery which need to be considered when building a case for your client, as well as protecting your client’s rights. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 26, Rule 34, and Rule 45, have been updated in accordance with Computer Forensics and Electronic Evidence Discovery and have added many new procedures for handling and requesting electronic information.

On December 1, 2006, many amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect. There are three rules specifically that impact Computer Forensics and E-Discovery which need to be considered when building a case for your client, as well as protecting your client’s rights.

Most companies fail to realize the following two points:

• Any data that can be compiled into viewable form, whether presented electronically or printed on paper, is potentially within the definition of “document”.

• Electronic documents may be considered obsolete by the business in terms of its current computer infrastructure, but may have archival value and be recoverable to a readable format by specialized forensic techniques.

An Expert Witness is a specialized and quickly growing field of investigation within Computer Forensics and E-Discovery. And as such, these individuals are a leading defense, or offense - depending on which side of the litigation you are on, up corporate America’s sleeve against cyber crimes and prosecuting ‘hackers’. An Expert Witness service typically works closely with a Computer Forensics investigator, or perhaps has the credentials and experience of both.