Glossary
Audit trail
A chronological record of the actions performed during a change, retained to support investigation and problem resolution during and after it.
Also calledaudit log · change record
A record of what was done, when, and by whom. §98 of Bank of Israel Directive 364 requires retention of an audit trail of the activities performed during change implementation, to support investigation and problem resolution during or after the change.
The practical test
An audit trail assembled afterwards is not an audit trail. The right question is not "do we have documentation" but "does the documentation create itself". Anything that depends on a person remembering to record it will not exist on the night it is most needed.