Discovery files are legal case materials gathered for litigation or related proceedings. They can include witness statements, evidence inventories, police reports, recordings, emails, expert notes, and other documents exchanged or reviewed during a case. Because they often contain personal data, confidential strategy, and sensitive evidence, discovery files are treated as high-value records in legal and corporate environments.
In cyber security, discovery files matter because they are attractive targets for theft and extortion. Attackers may search law firm file shares, document systems, or cloud repositories for case material they can leak or sell to increase pressure on a victim. Defenders reduce risk by restricting access, encrypting storage, logging document access, segmenting case systems, and applying retention and data-loss prevention controls. Strong handling of discovery data can limit both legal exposure and ransomware leverage.