Cernam Capture & Preserve raises the bar for online evidence preservation and represents the first purpose-built system for evidential preservation of online content.
The unique fragility of online evidence requires the highest standards of evidence collection since there may never be a second chance to collect the evidence: online content can be altered, removed or rendered inaccessible at any time. Using Capture & Preserve an attorney, investigator or HR professional can collect online content and store it in a self-contained portable evidence container.
Unlike other tools which enable archiving or “offline browsing”, Cernam’s technology has its roots in digital forensics rather than data archiving. Drawing on our background in e-discovery, digital forensics and information security we designed a system which was suitable for high-stakes contexts such as litigation and investigations. As online evidence matures we expect every element of the process to be challenged, from the configuration of the systems used to collect evidence to the file formats used to preserve it. Cernam Capture & Preserve has been built with these challenges in mind and enables the collection of evidence from a wide range of sources, including:
Evidence collected using Capture & Preserve is stored in an Online Evidence Container or OEC. An OEC is a standalone portable evidence container based on the PDF standard. Opening an OEC in a PDF reader such as Acrobat will show a casual user details of the evidence it contains, let them view screenshots or other convenience copies and list details of the OEC format. An expert user, such an e-discovery or forensic specialist, can access the raw evidence within the container in the form of network packets. An analyst can also retrieve configuration details of the system which captured the evidence, encryption keys for access to any SSL-encrypted data and a set of secure digital timestamps based on GuardTime technology.
Early access to Cernam Capture & Preserve is available from January 30th 2012. For details please get in touch via the contact button on the right.