We here at Exterro have been on a mission to stay ahead of the rapidly changing industry. Today’s legal, law enforcement, privacy and compliance leaders must balance a broad set of business, data, and operational requirements, changing regulations and exponential risks. Meeting and overcoming these challenges demands highly-integrated, automated intelligent processes. Exterro realized that its customers could no longer be effective with a portfolio of siloed toolsets. So we set about to assemble the ultimate Legal GRC platform. In the same way that other key business functions have an integrated application platform to deliver their key business functions (Think SAP Finance, Workday HR, ServiceNow for IT), Exterro is delivering this broad integration and deep Legal GRC capabilities for Legal, Privacy, and Compliance teams.

Our journey to achieve this began with the Exterro platform in data management and e-discovery and was boosted when we acquired Jordan Lawrence and its data privacy suite in 2019. This meant that our capabilities within e-discovery, data privacy compliance, and holistic data management were amplified—and that our entire platform was taken to a new level. I’m incredibly excited to say that Exterro’s acquisition of AccessData, the world-class digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) and e-discovery technology provider, means that Exterro now offers businesses, government agencies, law enforcement, law firms, and legal service providers the only solution available to address all Legal GRC and digital investigation needs in one integrated platform.

Exterro made this phenomenal acquisition because the converging market forces in Privacy, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, and E-Discovery are making single-point solutions obsolete and demanding cross-industry platforms that can orchestrate the issue across legal, privacy, compliance, business, IT, regulators and other participants, and can do so in a simple, robust and defensible way. At their core, solutions that address critical business challenges in these markets all require the ability to identify, understand and secure data in a contextual manner, as quickly and inexpensively as possible. They also require consistent, defensible processes that meticulously ensure and maintain data integrity—both of which Exterro does better than anyone. And by further strengthening what we do best, Exterro is uniquely positioned to take on Legal and Compliance challenges from multiple vantage points.

This is similar to Exterro’s journey, in many ways: Continuing to expand from our roots and add new layers of capabilities to tackle more challenges and improve the overall user experience for our clients. Other Legal software solutions have not fully addressed the range of business challenges related to all of these converging demands. I am elated that we are now positioned as a global leader in data management and security for business enterprises, government entities, and law enforcement.

How AccessData Fits with Corporate Legal GRC Objectives

Digital forensics investigation technology is a key factor for organizations that require an orchestrated solution that solves the Legal GRC challenges facing all businesses today. A myriad of regulatory obligations and increased scrutiny pertaining to privacy rights, threats of data breaches, and business pressures are just a few of the obstacles standing in the way of increased productivity and efficiency. Factor this into an ever-expanding universe of data distributed across enterprises, and we can see that the need for data quality and integrity across investigations, legal matters, privacy processes, and other compliance activities is greater than ever before.

One of the components of AccessData’s incredible forensics technology that excites me the most is their Forensic ToolKit (FTK), which is their flagship product. I’m proud to say that this technology will not only help our corporate clients, but empower those in law enforcement to help make the world a safer place—and is already being used by some of the biggest law enforcement agencies around the world. Knowing that our technology will help keep dangerous people off the streets is very near-and-dear to my heart, as the importance of positive social impact as part of business acquisitions are sometimes overlooked, but are nonetheless extraordinarily important to Exterro’s mission, leadership and culture.

FTK and their fleet of forensic tools allow users to power through massive data sets with unsurpassed speed and court validated accuracy, and to locate and analyze evidence efficiently, leading to reduced investigation time and resources. This is in part what has made FTK the preferred integrated forensics solution for digital investigators all over the world. Unlike other acquirers in this market segment in the past, we are strategically and financially committed to further developing and investing in FTK as we seek to ensure that it remains an innovative, best-in-class solution that exceeds client expectations—and Exterro’s machine learning and AI capabilities will help take FTK to new levels. (I’ll share some of the big plans we have here in my next post).

In addition, Exterro Incident and Breach Management will soon have the capability to gain deep visibility into live data directly at the endpoint, meaning faster and more targeted investigations, through integration with AccessData. New case management capabilities that feature process orchestration means internal investigations will go smoothly and be consistent across all matters. Combined with Exterro’s artificial intelligence capabilities, investigators will be able to get to the facts of every case more efficiently. Readers who have been following Exterro over the years know that process orchestration and workflow are built into our DNA! As insourcing of legal processes accelerates, the vastly improved productivity and end results will make the value of our end-to-end legal technology solution too powerful not to take advantage of and utilize.

With our acquisition of AccessData, I can proudly say that Exterro is now the only platform in the market that any corporate Legal and Compliance department will need to ensure that their legal governance, risk and compliance needs are met. Integration between Exterro and AccessData technology and products are already underway, and our clients can soon expect major innovations which will empower our clients to be more effective and efficient at meeting legal and regulatory demands, managing business risk, and boosting trust in the organization.

It’s an exciting time—and we are committed to empowering your team to manage risk, protect privacy, build confidence and engender trust. Learn more about Exterro and our Legal, Compliance, Data Management, and Digital Forensics solutions, or contact us to find out how we can help your organization.