​September 16 to 20 was quite the week at the Osgoode Hall School, York University in downtown Toronto.  Program Director, Susan Wortzman, and Osgoode Continuing Legal Education Program Lawyer, Stephen Ahad, compiled an excellent program that highlighted all facets of e-discovery and the presenters were all first-rate.  I was fortunate to be in attendance the entire week and was thoroughly impressed with the information presented during the sessions.  It is difficult to choose from the stellar line-up, but the stand-out sessions for me were:
Forensic Essentials: Collection
Presented by Joe Coltson, Partner, Forensic Services - PriceWaterHouseCoopers LLP; and and Kevin Lo, Managing Director – Froese Forensic Partners
Very interesting presentation on how unscrupulous individuals are becoming more sophisticated with respect to data theft.  The session covered signs of risk, Anton Pillar Orders, digital evidence workflow, ensuring the data is defensible, and how to conduct a forensic collection.
Digitization of Government and Services and Implications for the Legal System
Presented by Hillary Hartley, Chief Digital Officer – Government of Ontario
Ms. Hartley spoke about the Ontario Government’s data and digital strategy as it moves into the internet era.  Many forward-thinking changes and initiatives are in the works, aimed at making government services easily accessible through the implication of standardized digital tools and practices. 
Analysis of Data
Presented by Milan Lee, Machine Learning Specialist - Google
Ms. Lee walked the attendees through Google AI, and demonstrated how AI is programmed and processed in Googles various applications.  It was extremely interesting to see behind the computer screen and learn how AI applications process data and learn. 
Also worth mentioning were the Tool Demonstrations that allowed the attendees to see the features and benefits of various e-discovery platforms and trial management tools.
The Program ended with a round-table discussion on the Future of Data, moderated by Susan Wortzman.  The panelists presented different aspects of a look forward for e-discovery.  I think some exciting times are ahead in the world of e-discovery.  

Have you heard about the Osgoode Hall Law School Certificate in E-Discovery, Information Governance and Privacy course?
 
Don’t miss your chance to find out what it is and how you can secure your spot at the next one.
 
This year, Program Director, Susan Wortzman, did not disappoint with a line up of speakers including Privacy Commissioner Brian Beamish, Chief Digital Officer for Ontario, Hillary Hartley, Ray LeClair of LawPro, forensic and cyber security experts Kevin Lo and Daniel Tobok, and Milan Lee of Google.
 
Here are some of my favorite takeaways from the course as we enter the age of 5G connectivity and intelligent automation:
 
The Future of e-Discovery - Big Data and The Internet of Things
 
The amount of data we produce every day is exploding. There are 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created each day. This pace is accelerating with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT).
 
How much of what we do on a daily basis is “digital”? Are our devices collecting data on us? Yes.
 
Today we interact with our “smart” devices for almost everything and as they interact with each other they are collecting all kinds of data. From 2 billion devices in 2006 to a projected 200 billion by 2020. Our Fitbit devices help us meet our fitness goals by tracking our activity, exercise, sleep, weight and more. We talk to Amazon’s Alexa and Goggle Home to turn things on, find things, or answer the door. All of these devices are collecting data about us. This data is discoverable, presenting new challenges for the legal industry.
 
Elon Musk’s newest venture, Neuralink, aims to pave the way for a symbiosis with human brains and artificial intelligence. This new technology is designed to allow humans to more quickly communicate with machines directly from their brains by implanting tiny chips that can link up to the brain.
 
As the IoT speeds up, it also presents new challenges for e-Discovery – some food for thought: Does this mean that our thoughts recorded by this new tech might be discoverable?  What happens to this data after it’s collected?  What are the implications?  How deep does our digital footprint go?
 
Another valuable piece of information from this course pertains to cyber security and the immense value of data.
 
Cybersecurity - Are you prepared? 
 
It is reported that cybercrime will surpass $600 billion by the end of 2019. Our data is a hot commodity. The growing importance of data and its protection cannot be ignored. The digital climate is changing and there is an emerging industry around cybercrime.
 
If  organizations are not familiar with best practices for good data security, they are at risk for security and privacy breaches. Organizations can (and should) start by looking at data encryption, tracking how data flows in and out of an organization, conducting data mapping, and making sure the doors are locked to rooms that store data. Being prepared can reduce the risk of malicious threats.
 
As cybercrime increases, the response for cyber security grows. Due to the speed of technological advances, the more qualified people we have to keep up with these advances and combat the crime, the better positioned we are as a community, city, province, and nation.
 
What can we do?  Start by knowing where our data is, who has access to it, and number one: encrypt our data!