Veritas Technologies announced its latest eDiscovery Platform, which includes data classification capabilities.

Corporate compliance and investigation teams can utilize the newly added data classification function to ensure compliance, thereby avoiding large fines and minimizing corporate reputation risk, and companies can manage personally identifiable information (PII) and subject access requests.

Preparing for information access requests is a key element of GDPR compliance strategy, and companies are making multifaceted efforts to prepare for the GDPR. According to the recently released 'Veritas 2017 GDPR Report: Chapter 3,' many companies around the world have begun to foster a company-wide culture of compliance with the new regulations.

In addition, according to a past Veritas survey[1], enterprise data is growing by 49% annually worldwide, and as a result, many companies are storing more and more data on-premises or in one or more clouds. Due to this fragmentation, most companies do not know exactly what data they possess and where that data is stored, making it a critical challenge to locate relevant personal information in a timely manner.

Veritas's latest eDiscovery platform helps address these very challenges. Companies can quickly locate and review personal information to determine which information must be disclosed and which does not violate the law. In addition, the eDiscovery platform provides an online response package that enables the proper fulfillment of GDPR information access request requirements, thereby ensuring compliance, which helps avoid high fines and prevents damage to corporate reputation.

Integration of data classification functions supporting the proper management of sensitive data

The Veritas eDiscovery Platform is fully integrated with the Veritas Classification Engine to provide powerful intelligence on data risks residing on-premises and in the cloud. Utilizing these new integrated capabilities, enterprises can rapidly inspect and tag data based on pre-designed classification sets, enabling them to properly manage and protect sensitive or hazardous information. Furthermore, using the Veritas eDiscovery Platform, enterprises can search for locations where personally identifiable information is stored across the enterprise and fulfill information access requests by appropriately preserving or deleting data as needed.

In particular, a significant strength of this latest platform is that it allows companies to reduce the number of files subject to review by selecting only the data they need. Review tasks can also be prioritized using a stack ranking method that lists items based on their analytical relevance. Such innovation plays a crucial role in complying with compliance standards mandated by new regulations, such as GDPR.

"As data grows exponentially, industry-specific data protection regulations are being established globally," said Rama Kolappan, Vice President of Product Management and Partnerships at Veritas. "It is urgent for companies to secure tools that can accurately review, curate, and manage related data regardless of its location." "Veritas will support the rapid and efficient response to requests and the management of regulatory and investigation-related matters through the newly announced eDiscovery Platform, a user-friendly single application," he said.

Easy data review and correction to meet strict deadlines

The latest eDiscovery platform supports more intelligent and faster reviews through a new suite of review and redemption tools. The newly added 'Bulk Redaction' feature allows reviewers to automatically and thoroughly scan data sets and mask all sensitive data according to pre-specified categories in a single operation. This feature enables enterprises to prevent the accidental leakage of critical data (e.g., personal information related to others) that is not intended for public disclosure when responding to information access requests.

The eDiscovery platform includes pre-configured revision codes to maintain consistency throughout the document review process and allows users to present to individuals the reasons why specific data items were not disclosed. Additionally, the annotation feature newly included in the latest platform enables case handlers to more easily mark documents under review and share notes, supporting a more effective collaborative workflow for datasets requiring multiple reviewers.