audit log
compound.compound. a digital record that tracks every action or change made in a computer system. It helps people see who did what and when it happened.
compound. a chronological record of security-relevant chronological sequences or activities that provide documentary evidence of the sequence of activities that have affected at any time a specific operation, procedure, or event.
The administrator checked the audit log to see who deleted the file.
After the security breach, the IT team reviewed the audit log to identify the exact moment the unauthorized user gained access to the database.
Regulatory compliance often requires financial institutions to maintain immutable audit logs for several years to ensure transparency and accountability in all digital transactions.
A compound of audit, derived from the Latin auditus (a hearing), and log, originally referring to a weighted piece of wood used to measure a ship's speed. The term reflects the migration of traditional accounting practices into maritime-style chronological record-keeping.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in the singular to refer to the entire collection of records or in the plural ('audit logs') to refer to multiple files.
Last updated July 22, 2026