Audit Log
Definition
An audit log is a chronological, tamper-evident record of all significant actions performed within a software system, capturing who did what, when, and from which device, providing an accountable history for security, compliance, and dispute resolution.
Full Explanation
An audit log (also called an audit trail) is an automatic, system-generated record that documents every meaningful action taken within a software platform: user logins, data edits, record deletions, report generations, fee entries, permission changes, and failed login attempts. Each log entry records the timestamp, the user who performed the action, the specific record that was changed, and the before-and-after state of any modified data. In schools, audit logs serve several critical functions: they enable investigation of financial discrepancies (identifying who altered a fee record), they provide evidence for dispute resolution when parents claim a fee was paid, they support compliance with data protection regulations by proving that access to personal data was authorised, and they deter internal fraud by making all actions visible to administrators. In the African regulatory context, Ghana's Data Protection Commission and Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) both expect institutions handling personal data to maintain access logs. RedeemOS maintains a comprehensive audit log for all sensitive operations, accessible to the system administrator and headteacher.