// GLOSSARY -- SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
What is an Immutable Audit Log?
A tamper-proof record of all agent spending decisions anchored on-chain or cryptographically secured — entries cannot be modified or deleted after creation.
WHY IT MATTERS
Regular logs can be edited or deleted. Immutable logs make entries permanent and verifiable.
For agent finance, immutability matters for: regulatory compliance, dispute resolution, forensic analysis, and legal proceedings.
Blockchain provides natural immutability. Off-chain logs achieve similar guarantees through Merkle trees and periodic on-chain anchoring.
HOW POLICYLAYER USES THIS
PolicyLayer creates immutable on-chain audit logs — cryptographically verifiable and permanent for the strongest accountability.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How is immutability guaranteed?
Through cryptographic hash chains and on-chain anchoring. Each log entry references the previous entry's hash — any modification breaks the chain.
Storage cost?
On-chain anchoring costs gas, but PolicyLayer batches entries for efficiency. Full log data is stored off-chain with periodic hash anchoring on-chain.
Can logs be queried?
Yes — PolicyLayer provides rich query APIs for searching, filtering, and analyzing audit log data.