Audit Layer
Understanding the logging, monitoring, and reputation management components of MCP-I
Accountability Foundation
The Audit Layer provides the accountability and transparency mechanisms for MCP-I, enabling comprehensive tracking of agent activities, delegation events, and verification decisions.
Introduction to the Audit Layer
The Audit Layer in MCP-I ensures that all identity and delegation activities are properly logged, monitored, and made available for oversight and compliance purposes. This layer serves several critical functions:
- Accountability: Maintaining records of which agents performed which actions
- Transparency: Enabling visibility into delegation chains and agent activities
- Compliance: Supporting regulatory requirements for audit trails
- Security: Enabling detection of suspicious patterns or misuse
- Reputation: Providing data for agent reputation assessments
Audit Requirements
Audit logging is mandatory for all conformance levels in MCP-I, with increasing requirements for log integrity, retention, and analysis as you move from Level 1 to Level 3.
Audit Integration Points
The Audit Layer integrates with other MCP-I components:
Audit Record Format
MCP-I audit records follow a standardized format:
{
"id": "urn:uuid:f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6",
"timestamp": "2025-06-15T19:23:24Z",
"eventType": "VerificationSucceeded",
"actorType": "Agent",
"actorId": "did:example:agent456",
"delegator": "did:example:principal123",
"resource": "https://api.example.com/data/customer-records",
"action": "read:customer-records",
"credentialId": "urn:uuid:3978344f-8596-4c3a-a978-8fcaba3903c5",
"verifierSystem": "edge-proxy-east-1",
"requestId": "req-1a2b3c",
"clientInfo": {
"ipAddress": "203.0.113.42",
"userAgent": "MCP-I Agent/1.0"
},
"result": {
"status": "success",
"statusCode": 200,
"responseTime": 123
},
"proof": {
"type": "Ed25519Signature2020",
"created": "2025-06-15T19:23:25Z",
"verificationMethod": "did:example:logger#key-1",
"proofValue": "z43BsK5Fu9Sdw..."
}
}
Privacy Considerations
When implementing audit logging, be mindful of privacy regulations. Store only necessary information and implement appropriate access controls and retention policies.
Error Detection and Response
The Audit Layer can help identify and respond to errors:
- Error Patterns: Detecting repeated verification failures
- Threshold Alerts: Notifications when errors exceed thresholds
- Automated Responses: Taking action based on error patterns
- Forensic Analysis: Detailed investigation of security incidents
Key Topics
- Audit Requirements - Mandatory logging requirements for each conformance level
- Core Events - Essential event types that must be logged in MCP-I
- Audit Storage - Storage architecture and integrity mechanisms for audit logs
- Monitoring Analytics - Real-time monitoring and analytics capabilities
- Anonymization Privacy - Privacy protection and data anonymization techniques
- Reputation Management - Agent reputation tracking and assessment systems
- Implementation - Practical implementation guidance and best practices