auditeid

Auditeid is a term used in information governance and auditing to denote a unique identifier assigned to a single audit event within an audit trail. The auditeid serves as a reference point that allows systems and analysts to correlate related events, de-duplicate records, and support non-repudiation of audit data. While not a universal standard, the concept is widely applied in log management and security information and event management (SIEM) practices.

Format and generation of an auditeid vary by implementation. Common approaches include universally unique identifiers (UUIDs), lexicographically sortable identifiers (ULIDs), or cryptographic hashes derived from the event content and its context. An auditeid is typically created when an event is generated and may be designed to remain immutable thereafter. In some designs, auditeids may form a hierarchical or linked structure to reflect event lineage or child-parent relationships within composite audit records.

Role and benefits. The auditeid enhances traceability across systems and components, enabling efficient cross-service correlation, incident response, and forensic analysis. It supports auditing for compliance, investigation of suspicious activity, and verification that events have not been altered or lost in transit.

Implementation considerations. Effective use of auditeids benefits from synchronized clocks, append-only storage, and integrity protections such as digital signatures or hash chaining. Systems should ensure appropriate privacy controls, access restrictions, and metadata completeness to maximize the usefulness of the identifier without exposing sensitive information.

See also: audit trail, event ID, UUID, log correlation.