Audit Log
A chronological record of security-relevant or business-relevant actions showing what occurred and who or what initiated it.
Plain English
A traceable history of important changes and access events.
In context
Audit logs should be tamper-resistant access-controlled retained appropriately and include reliable identity time action target and outcome context.
Example
“The audit log shows which administrator changed the account role and when.”
When you'll hear this
- security investigation
- compliance review
- customer support
Common misunderstanding
An audit log is not identical to every application log and recording an event does not prove the action was authorized.
Also known as
audit trail
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
