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CrashPlan Legal Hold
What it is
CrashPlan Legal Hold preserves and collects backup data for legal matters as part of eDiscovery. A preservation policy specifies which files to retain and for how long, while a matter applies that policy to a group of users. CrashPlan continuously gathers file updates from custodians’ devices. Custodians are not told about a hold, and the legal-hold backup set does not appear in the CrashPlan app. The program records data access and preservation-policy changes for audit, and CrashPlan says it retains timestamps, permissions, and directory paths for discovery. An open API and integration documentation let an existing eDiscovery platform access preserved data. Collection requires an active hold and an active CrashPlan app on the target device. Console collection is unavailable when an archive uses an Archive key password or Custom key, although the data remains preserved. Custodians continue consuming subscriptions while matters remain open. Releasing a custodian or closing a matter starts permanent deletion. Legal Hold is offered on Enterprise plans; pricing is available on request.
For and against
For
- Automated file-update preservation
- Custodians are not notified
- Auditable access and policy changes
- Open eDiscovery API
- Preserves discovery metadata
Against
- No free plan
- Collection needs an active hold
- Archive or Custom keys block console collection
- Closed matters begin permanent deletion
The verdict
CrashPlan Legal Hold adds policy-based preservation, audit records, metadata retention, and eDiscovery access to backup data. Organizations should account for collection requirements and deletion behavior when matters end.
Who it suits
It suits organizations managing legal holds and eDiscovery for users whose files are backed up by CrashPlan. It is intended for Enterprise plans, including organizations with 250 or more employees or a legal-hold need.
Plans and prices
CrashPlan Enterprise
Legal Hold available on Enterprise plans · 250+ employees or when legal hold is needed · Contact sales for a quote
Read 7 Oct 2026 · crashplan.com
On the record
- Audit trail
- Data access and preservation policy changes are logged and auditable in the program.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Collection
- Collecting preserved files requires an active hold and a target device with the CrashPlan app installed and active.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Collection limit
- Files cannot be collected through the console for custodians whose archives use an Archive key password or Custom key, though their data is still preserved.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Continuous protection
- CrashPlan automatically collects regular updates to files on custodians’ devices.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Custodian experience
- Custodians are not notified of a hold and the legal hold backup set does not appear in the CrashPlan app.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- eDiscovery integration
- CrashPlan for Endpoint provides an open API and integration documentation for accessing preserved data from an existing eDiscovery platform.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Metadata
- CrashPlan says it preserves file timestamps, permissions, and directory paths for discovery.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Preservation policies
- A preservation policy defines which files to preserve and how long to keep them, and a matter applies one policy to a group of users.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Legal Hold preserves and collects user backup data for legal matters as part of eDiscovery.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Retention on release
- Releasing a custodian or closing a matter begins permanent deletion of the data preserved by that hold.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Security certifications
- CrashPlan says it is ISO 27001 certified and conducts annual SOC 2 Type 2 attestations on its product and infrastructure.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Subscription use
- Custodians remain active users and continue to consume a user subscription while their matter is open.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Supported desktop systems
- The CrashPlan app supports Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.support.crashplan.com · read 7 Oct 2026
