Declared scope
Every task begins from a named system, workflow, device, dataset, or event boundary.
Operating standards
Authorized, bounded, reviewable, and evidence-led.
These standards govern how AuditTrace describes, designs, evaluates, and supports preservation and verification work.
Authorization
Work applies only to owned systems or systems and data covered by current, explicit authorization.
No silent expansion
Discovery does not become permission to broaden collection, execution, or review.
Evidence before claims
Conclusions remain tied to preserved artifacts, documented limits, and reproducible checks.
Human final authority
Agents and tools do not self-approve scope, releases, exports, evidence promotion, or consequential actions.
Non-surveillance
AuditTrace does not position continuous person monitoring, behavior scoring, or covert observation as preservation.
Provenance and integrity
Artifacts should retain enough source, timing, handling, and verification context for later review.
Reproducibility
Supported comparisons and verification steps should be documented and repeatable.
Claim discipline
AuditTrace does not claim perfect proof, complete visibility, guaranteed compliance, or automatic legal sufficiency.