Liberty Web Access Expands Secure Digital Asset Management for Courts & Law Enforcement

Originally Published: February 12, 2020
Updated: February 20, 2025 — Current Version: Liberty Web Access 5.8

High Criteria Inc., developer of the Liberty Recording software suite, announces the release of Liberty Web Access (LWA) Version 5.1, delivering enhanced security, real-time monitoring, and advanced digital asset management for courts, law enforcement, and government agencies.

As digital court recordings and case materials grow in volume, many organizations are rethinking how and where their data is stored. While cloud-based platforms dominate headlines, courts and justice agencies still require on-premise solutions for direct access, control, and security of sensitive recordings. Liberty Web Access 5.1 bridges the gap by offering a scalable hybrid approach, combining court-controlled storage with cloud-based archival and retrieval when needed.

Cloud-Based vs. On-Premise Digital Asset Management: Why Control Still Matters

Many modern court recording solutions push fully cloud-based storage models, requiring courts to upload, access, and manage all recordings through third-party servers. While this approach offers some advantages in long-term archiving, it comes with significant trade-offs:

• Loss of Immediate Access – Courts must rely on an internet connection and third-party servers to access their own recordings.

• Recurring Costs & Vendor Lock-In – Most cloud-based systems require ongoing subscription fees, increasing costs over time.

• Security & Compliance Concerns – Sensitive legal recordings are stored offsite, raising concerns over data sovereignty, security policies, and compliance requirements.

• Limited Performance & Reliability – Streaming live or high-resolution recordings over the internet can lead to latency issues, buffering, and dependency on network stability.

Liberty Web Access: The Best of Both Worlds

Liberty Web Access 5.1 offers a hybrid solution—giving courts and agencies full control over primary access and real-time playback while enabling cloud-based storage for long-term archival and retrieval when necessary.

With LWA, courts don’t have to choose between on-premise reliability and cloud flexibility—they can have both.

What’s New in Liberty Web Access 5.1?

• Microsoft Entra ID (Active Directory) Integration – LWA syncs directly with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Windows Active Directory) for secure user authentication and role-based access control.

  • Courts can enforce custom user roles and permissions for accessing recordings.

  • IT administrators can restrict access by department, courtroom, or specific users.

• Live Playback Controls – Users can now rewind live recordings without disrupting the active broadcast, enabling seamless review of key moments in real time.

• Enhanced Audit Logs – Every user access and playback session is logged, ensuring full transparency and chain-of-custody compliance.

• Advanced Access Controls – Search results now only display files that users are authorized to access, improving confidentiality and data security.

• Active Directory Integration – Restrict access to recording rooms and files based on predefined user roles, seamlessly integrating with existing IT infrastructure.

• Flexible Storage Management – Courts can store recordings locally while leveraging optional cloud-based archival for long-term retention, ensuring both accessibility and cost-efficiency.

• Liberty Control for Mobile Devices – LWA syncs with Liberty Control for mobile devices, allowing remote users to securely monitor recordings from courtrooms, law enforcement interview rooms, or government facilities.

• Optimized for Windows Server Environments – Now fully supported on Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022.

Why Courts & Law Enforcement Are Choosing Hybrid Storage Over Fully Cloud-Based Solutions

1. On-Premise Primary Access: Faster, More Reliable, and Always Available

Unlike cloud-dependent platforms that require an internet connection to access recordings, Liberty Web Access ensures that critical case materials are always available—regardless of network status. Courts and agencies can:

• Playback recordings instantly without waiting for cloud retrieval.

• Avoid internet disruptions affecting real-time access to court records.

• Maintain full local control over case materials without third-party dependencies.

2. Cloud Archival: Cost-Effective Storage Without Vendor Lock-In

When cloud storage is needed, LWA provides courts with the flexibility to archive recordings on their own terms—without being locked into a single vendor or costly subscription model.

• Courts can choose where and how long recordings are stored.

• Archived cases remain retrievable without relying on third-party platforms for daily operations.

• Reduces on-prem storage demands while maintaining primary access locally.

3. Security & Compliance: Meeting Courtroom Standards Without Compromise

Cloud-only platforms introduce security risks by storing sensitive legal recordings in offsite data centers controlled by private companies. Liberty Web Access ensures compliance with court regulations by:

• Keeping live and recent recordings stored locally for immediate access.

• Allowing controlled, encrypted access for authorized users.

• Providing full audit logs of all user activity for transparency and chain-of-custody requirements.

A Smarter Approach to Court Recording Management

Courts need a long-term, sustainable approach to digital recording management—one that doesn’t sacrifice security for convenience. With Liberty Web Access 5.1, courts can:

✅ Store and access recordings on-premise for reliability and security.
✅ Use cloud storage selectively for archival and retrieval, not daily operations.
✅ Avoid subscription lock-in and maintain full control over case records.
✅ Ensure compliance with court security policies and data sovereignty laws.

Liberty Web Access 5.1 delivers a modern, flexible approach to court recording management, balancing cost-efficiency, accessibility, and security without compromise.

For more information about Liberty Web Access contact High Criteria Inc. at [email protected].