1. A computer system for scanning electronic data, the system comprising: a computing grid of processors that are separate from a file system comprising a plurality of files, wherein the computing grid of processors receive information about the plurality of files, the computing grid of processors comprising one or more distributed scanning elements configured to perform data scanning operations on the plurality of files, wherein the one or more distributed scanning elements are configured to: determine, based on pathnames of the plurality of files, which scanning element is to process data in the plurality of files; and based on the determination as to which scanning element is to process the data in the plurality of files, distribute the data scanning operations amongst the one or more distributed scanning elements; and distribute a computing load amongst the processors in the computing grid of processors.