Layer 7 proxy for immutable application audit trails

A method comprising:

• at one or more application layer audit proxies arranged to obtain application layer network traffic sent in a network:
• receiving application layer network traffic sent as part of a communication session between a producer entity and a consumer entity;
• recording information about the application layer network traffic to an audit log in a distributed permissioned database comprising a blockchain of immutable data blocks;
• and
• forwarding the application layer network traffic to the producer entity or to the consumer entity.

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface configured to receive and send traffic in a network, including application layer network traffic sent as part of a communication session between a producer entity and a consumer entity;
• a processor coupled to the network interface, and configured to:
• record information about the application layer network traffic to an audit log in a distributed permissioned database comprising a blockchain of immutable data blocks;
• and
• cause the application layer network traffic to be forwarded by the network interface to the producer entity or to the consumer entity.