eDiscovery Certification Council

FORMAT/STYLE

Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) or Instructor Led Training (ILT).

DURATION

3 days

INTENDED AUDIENCE

  • eDiscovery Analysts
  • eDiscovery Project managers
  • eDiscovery Consultants
  • eDiscovery Technicians/Specialists
  • Digital Investigators 
  • Project Administrators 
  • litigation support professionals
  • information managers
  • IT and computer forensic experts of all kinds
  • eDiscovery vendors employees

Prerequisite

The main requirement for participating in this training course is having a general knowledge of the eDiscovery concepts.

REGISTRATION

Visit: www.eDiscoveryCertificateCouncil.org/List ofTrainingProviders   

submit@ediscoverycertificationcouncil.org

The Certified eDiscovery & Forensic Data Expert (CeFDE) program is an intensive, practitioner-focused course designed for technicians who handle digital evidence in real investigations, disputes, and regulatory matters. This program is built for professionals who image devices, extract data, recover artifacts, process ESI, and prepare datasets that must stand up to technical and legal scrutiny. 

Certified eDiscovery & Forensic…

CeFDE goes beyond basic tool training. It teaches how forensic data and eDiscovery workflows connect in the real world, and how technician-level decisions directly impact defensibility, outcomes, and credibility.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll learn how to:

  • Perform forensically sound data collection across devices, mobile, and cloud sources
  • Preserve metadata, hashes, and chain of custody correctly—without shortcuts
  • Recover deleted, hidden, and system-level artifacts
  • Process forensic outputs into eDiscovery platforms without breaking defensibility
  • Apply TAR/CAL and AI-assisted review techniques responsibly
  • Recognize common technician mistakes that lead to evidence challenges and rework

 

Syllabus

Certified eDiscovery & Forensic Data

 

Module 1 – Digital Evidence & Discovery Landscape

  • Types of digital evidence
  • Sources of digital evidence
  • Digital evidence lifecycle
  • Role of forensics vs eDiscovery
  • Challenges in digital investigations

Module 2 – Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Frameworks

  • Admissibility of digital evidence
  • Chain of custody requirements
  • Relevant cyber laws and regulations
  • Data privacy and protection laws
  • Regulatory compliance obligations

Module 3 – Forensic Collection & Preservation

  • Evidence acquisition methods (live vs dead)
  • Imaging techniques
  • Preservation best practices
  • Evidence handling and storage
  • Hashing and integrity verification

Module 4 – Forensic Data Analysis & Reconstruction

  • Timeline analysis
  • Artifact analysis (logs, files, metadata)
  • Data carving and recovery
  • Event reconstruction techniques
  • Correlation of multiple evidence sources

Module 5 – eDiscovery Processing, Review & Production

  • eDiscovery workflow stages
  • Data processing techniques
  • Review strategies and technologies
  • Legal holds and data preservation
  • Production formats and protocols

Module 6 – Integrating Forensics with eDiscovery

  • Workflow integration models
  • Collaboration between legal and technical teams
  • Data defensibility and audit trails
  • Managing large-scale investigations
  • Risk management in investigations

Module 7 – AI Automation & The Future

  • Role of AI in forensics and eDiscovery
  • Predictive coding / Technology Assisted Review (TAR)
  • Automation of evidence analysis
  • Risks and limitations of AI
  • Future trends in digital investigations

Module 8 – Ethics, Defensibility & Expert Testimony

  • Ethical standards in digital forensics
  • Maintaining objectivity and neutrality
  • Defensibility of forensic processes
  • Expert witness roles and responsibilities
  • Courtroom testimony best practices