An audit trail is a chronological record of activities used to track changes and access within a system. It helps ensure data transparency and supports compliance with regulatory requirements.
An audit trail, also known as a paper trail, is an essential element in the field of governance, risk and compliance (GRC). It documents activities within a system in chronological order. These records are important to ensure traceability and transparency of changes and to determine who performed which action and when.
In an audit context, the audit trail allows auditors to verify the integrity and authenticity of data. It serves as evidence that policies and legal requirements have been met. This lets companies ensure that all relevant processes are followed, while also identifying room for improvement.
A capable GRC auditor can access this in a platform like Kopexa to run audits more efficiently and validate compliance with standards such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2. The audit trail thus provides a foundation for solid compliance management and contributes to risk reduction.