William Ellwood
William is the Forensic Lead and Chief Information Security Officer for ellwood Evidence Inc., a digital forensic and incident response consultancy. He works with firms to improve their security posture, and to identify, isolate and remediate cyber-threats. Through their work with law enforcement, regulatory agencies and criminal defense firms, he has provided insight into the technical aspects of online fraud and cyber-theft.
With fifteen years of experience in information technology, ediscovery, digital forensics and digital security, William has implemented and investigated a wide range of technologies as they apply to legal matters. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Computational Cognition from Trinity College, University of Toronto. He is a Certified Information System Security Professional and Ontario-licensed Private Investigator.
Court Appearances
on consent, R.D. v. Her Majesty the Queen 2022, before Chief Justice Weibe, Provincial Court of Manitoba, for the Winnipeg Police Service as an expert in:
the search of materials, including digital and internet based materials, servers and other technological devices including laptops, iPads, digital cameras and USB sticks
data retrieval, isolation, preservation and destruction processes once material is seized
Conferences & Seminars
Panelist
Created and taught the Collection, Preservation and Processing material as faculty for the Osgoode certificate program.
Section 490C of the criminal code addresses the requirements surrounding return of seized items. We explore the issues which may arise when seized items are repositories of digital data.
From preventing phishing to ensuring online safety and physical safety within your office/home office premises, education of staff to protect against fraudsters.
Presented developments in In-Place Data Search, Litigation Holds and modern document processing and analytics solutions as part of The Osgoode Certificate in E-Discovery, Information Governance and Privacy.
An overview of key challenges and unique security threats associated with remote access and adopting best practices to protect small ad mid-sized firms (and their clients) against fraudsters. Checklists and worksheets provided to kickstart security programs.
Advancing the Industry
Papers
Forthcoming. My primary contribution was updating and revising the sections on ephemeral messaging, preservation and presentation.
In this commentary, the Sedona Canada working group on Privacy and Information Security attempted to make the nitty-gritty of information security as approachable as possible, with practical tips for securing law-firms large and small.
Teaching
Osgoode Professional Development, 2019 - Present
Teaching the Collection, Preservation and Processing section in the Osgoode Certificate in E-Discovery, Information Governance and Privacy. Regular panelist and presenter.
Guidance Software Part-Time Trainer, 2014 - 2018
Instructed the EnCE Preparation Class at Guidance’s Dulles Virginia facility. Regularly facilitated virtual classroom instruction. Graded EnCE examinations.
Committees
The mission of Working Group 7 is to create forward-looking principles and best practice recommendations for lawyers, courts, businesses, and others who regularly confront e-discovery issues in Canada.
Attendee
Bringing together thought-leaders in cybersecurity, digital investigations, AI and eDiscovery to discuss best practices, Enfuse 2019 offered more than 100 breakout sessions and hands-on technical labs.
A comprehensive overview of all the key steps that go into giving effective testimony. An experiential learning day with numerous opportunities to practice testimony and individualized feedback from experienced counsel.
Disseminating information and techniques to more effectively investigate, prosecute, defend or adjudicate technology and internet crimes.
Black Hat is the world’s leading information security event, providing attendees with the very latest in research, development and trends.
CEIC brings together security, e-discovery and forensic investigation professionals for in-depth discussions on security with industry experts representing leading government agencies and corporations from around the world.
CEIC is one of the largest international gatherings with a focus on the latest developments in cybersecurity, digital investigations and e-discovery.
Certifications & Professional Education
Digital Forensics
The Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst (CCPA) course is a 3-day advanced level program designed for technically savvy investigators, digital evidence analysts and forensic practitioners. Physical Analyzer software will be used extensively to explore recovered deleted data, database contents, advanced search and analysis techniques, verification and validation, and reporting.
The CCO is a 2-day intermediate level certification program which is designed to teach with extracting data in a forensically sound manner using UFED Touch or UFED 4PC. It aims to teach digital forensic examiners data extraction techniques across a variety of devices.
The foundational knowledge for effective use of Nuix Workstation, to create cases, data process, search and review content.
The CFSR certification acknowledges professionals who have mastered the necessary skills to prepare for cyber-attacks, perform attack detection, validate and prioritize alerts and contain cyber incidents. In addition, it demonstrates the professional’s ability to conduct root cause analysis, manage a cyber breach remediation process, and evaluate lesson learned.
The CISSP is a rigorous, vendor-neutral program that demonstrates competence across eight IT security domains. It is the NSA’s certification baseline for information security and policy management.
… apply Passware in different scenarios, to include, encrypted files, email passwords, Windows passwords, Apple passwords, encrypted volumes and more.
The EnCase® Certified Examiner(EnCE®) program certifies both public and private sector professionals in the use of Guidance Software's EnCase computer forensic software. EnCE certification acknowledges that professionals have mastered computer investigation methodology as well as the use of EnCase software during complex computer examinations. Recognized by both the law enforcement and corporate communities as a symbol of in-depth computer forensics knowledge, EnCE certification illustrates that an investigator is a skilled computer examiner.
eDiscovery
the most comprehensive of EDT’s certifications, CESA includes all other EDT training content for those responsible for administration of the entire EDT environment.
The Relativity Certified Administrator (RCA) program ensures that case administrators fully understand Relativity’s capabilities, allowing you to maximize the software’s flexibility and provide an intuitive interface for end users.
The EnCase® Certified eDiscovery Practitioner(EnCEP®) program certifies private and public sector professionals in the use of Guidance Software's EnCase® eDiscovery software as well as their proficiency in e-discovery planning, project management, and best practices, spanning legal hold to load file creation. EnCase eDiscovery is the leading e-discovery solution for the search, collection, preservation, and processing of electronically stored information(ESI). Earning the EnCEP certification illustrates that a practitioner is skilled in the application of the solution to manage and successfully complete all sizes of e-discovery matters in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Forensics Training
Cellebrite
Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst (CCPA)
Cellebrite Certified Operator (CCO)
Sumuri / Passware
Surviving Encryption
Guidance Software
EnCase eDiscovery
EnCase CyberSecurity
EnCase Enterprise
Network Intrusion Investigations
Advanced Internet Investigations
Advanced Computer Forensics
Computer Forensics II
Computer Forensics I
eDiscovery Training
kCura
Relativity Analytics
Relativity Infrastructure
Relativity Processing
Relativity Assisted Review
edt.
edt Platform Administration
Experience & Education
Professional Experience
ellwood Evidence Inc.
Forensic Lead, CISO (2018 - present)
Senior Examiner (2013 - 2018)
Forensic Examiner (2011 - 2013)
Guidance Software
Part-Time Forensic Trainer (2014-2018)
ellwood Associates Inc.
Solutions Architect (2011-2013)
Support Administrator (2009-2011)
Education
University of Toronto, Trinity College
Bachelor of Science, Computational Cognition (2012-2017)