Evidence Collection

Automated evidence gathering from 50+ integrations. Axura continuously collects, organizes, and maps compliance evidence so you're always audit-ready.

7 min read

Updated: January 2026

Evidence

Collection

Audit

Documentation

How Evidence Collection Works

Axura automatically collects evidence from your connected integrations on a continuous basis. Each piece of evidence is timestamped, hashed for integrity, and mapped to relevant compliance controls.

Automated Capture

Evidence is collected automatically during scheduled scans. No manual screenshots or exports required.

Integrity Verification

Each piece of evidence is cryptographically hashed (SHA-256) to prove it hasn't been tampered with.

Deduplication

Intelligent deduplication ensures you don't store redundant evidence, saving storage and audit time.

Control Mapping

AI automatically maps evidence to relevant compliance framework controls.

Evidence Types

Type	Description	Examples
Configuration	System settings and policies	S3 bucket settings, IAM policies, firewall rules
Screenshot	Visual proof of settings	MFA settings screen, audit log dashboard
Document	Policy and procedure documents	Security policy PDF, training certificates
Log	Audit and access logs	CloudTrail logs, access reviews, change history
Report	Generated compliance reports	Vulnerability scans, penetration test results

Evidence Lifecycle

COLLECTION → PROCESSING → STORAGE → MAPPING → RETRIEVAL 1. COLLECTION └─ Scheduled scan pulls data from integration └─ Real-time events trigger immediate collection 2. PROCESSING └─ Data is normalized to standard format └─ SHA-256 hash is calculated for integrity └─ Metadata is extracted (timestamps, resource IDs) 3. STORAGE └─ Evidence stored in encrypted database └─ Retention policies applied └─ Deduplication removes redundant entries 4. MAPPING └─ AI maps to compliance controls └─ Manual overrides supported └─ Cross-framework mapping applied 5. RETRIEVAL └─ Available for audit export └─ Searchable by control, date, type └─ Chain of custody maintained

Manual Evidence Upload

While most evidence is collected automatically, you can upload manual evidence for items that require human documentation:

Penetration test reports from third parties
Signed policy acknowledgments
Physical security documentation
Business continuity test results
Vendor security assessments

Supported File Types

Documents: PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, MD
Images: PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, WebP  
Spreadsheets: XLSX, XLS, CSV
Archives: ZIP (for multiple files)
Maximum file size: 50MB per file

Evidence Search & Filtering

Find evidence quickly with powerful search capabilities:

Full-Text Search

Search evidence content, metadata, and descriptions.

Control Filter

Filter by specific compliance control (e.g., "SOC 2 CC6.1").

Date Range

Find evidence collected within a specific time period.

Integration Filter

Show evidence from specific integrations (AWS, GitHub, etc.).

Type Filter

Filter by evidence type (configuration, screenshot, document).

Chain of Custody

Every piece of evidence maintains a complete audit trail:

Evidence Metadata

{
  "id": "ev_abc123",
  "title": "S3 Encryption Configuration",
  "type": "configuration",
  "hash": "sha256:a1b2c3d4e5...",
  "collected_at": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "integration": "aws",
  "resource_id": "arn:aws:s3:::customer-data",
  "controls": ["SOC2-CC6.7", "ISO27001-A.10.1.1"],
  "chain_of_custody": [
    {
      "action": "collected",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "actor": "system:scanner"
    },
    {
      "action": "mapped",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-15T10:30:05Z",
      "actor": "system:ai-mapper"
    },
    {
      "action": "reviewed",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-16T09:00:00Z",
      "actor": "user:compliance-manager@company.com"
    }
  ]
}

Evidence Export

Export evidence packages for auditors in multiple formats:

PDF Bundle - Formatted evidence with table of contents
ZIP Archive - Raw files with metadata JSON
Excel Workbook - Evidence list with control mappings
Auditor Portal - Secure link for external auditors

✅ Audit Ready

With continuous evidence collection, you're always audit-ready. No more scrambling to gather screenshots and documents before an audit.