As Lineal discusses here, for U.S. investigations and cross-border internal inquiries, digital forensics in the cloud is a current imperative.

The post, titled (wait for it!) Digital Forensics in the Cloud: Best Practices for U.S.-Based Investigations (available here), discusses how the cloud has transformed digital forensics—offering flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, but also introducing new complexities around data jurisdiction, access, and preservation. For U.S. investigations and cross-border internal inquiries alike, cloud forensics isn’t a future consideration—it’s a current imperative. Success now depends on evolving beyond legacy forensic playbooks to adopt approaches built for the cloud’s dynamic, decentralized nature.

Traditional data environments gave investigators clear visibility into where information was stored and who had access. In the cloud, that certainty vanishes. Data is duplicated across regions, subject to overlapping and often conflicting regulations—U.S. discovery rules, GDPR mandates, APAC data sovereignty laws—all potentially applying to the same dataset.

Before initiating an investigation, forensic teams must identify exactly where data resides and who controls it. Many cloud platforms offer region-specific storage options, but default settings and synchronization tools can quickly undermine legal strategy. Without a clear plan, investigations risk jurisdictional complications and escalating legal costs.

So, why don’t traditional forensics work here? How can you manage costs before they spiral? And what’s the role of AI? Find out here, it’s only one click! You have to go to the cloud to find out about digital forensics in the cloud! 😉

So, what do you think? How is your organization adapting digital forensics practices for today’s world? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Image created using Microsoft Designer, using the term “robot IT person in the clouds examining a hard drive with a magnifying glass”.

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Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.