An audit log is a chronological record of events or actions that occur within a system.
The purpose of an audit log is primarily twofold:
- Audit logs serve as a security measure to monitor and track activities within a system.
- Recording who did what, when, and from where, audit logs provide valuable information to detect unauthorised access, malicious activities, or potential security breaches.
- Additionally, audit logs are often required by regulatory standards and compliance frameworks to demonstrate adherence to security policies and procedures.
- Audit logs help establish accountability by providing a detailed history of user actions.
- In the event of a security incident or data breach, audit logs can be crucial for investigations, allowing security teams to trace the sequence of events leading up to the incident, identify the root cause, and take appropriate remedial actions.