diff --git a/platform/api/migrations/011_audit_events.sql b/platform/api/migrations/011_audit_events.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d9efd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/api/migrations/011_audit_events.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+-- audit_events — platform-level security/admin audit log, distinct from the Provisioner's
+-- environment_events (which is Lab-lifecycle-only). Never stores plaintext passwords, raw
+-- session tokens, Provisioner secrets, or raw routing tokens — see src/audit.js callers.
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS audit_events (
+  audit_event_id  BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+  actor_type      TEXT NOT NULL,     -- 'instructor' | 'student' | 'system'
+  actor_id        TEXT,              -- instructor_id or student_id as text; NULL for e.g. a failed login with no matching account
+  action          TEXT NOT NULL,
+  resource_type   TEXT,
+  resource_id     TEXT,
+  result          TEXT NOT NULL,     -- 'success' | 'failure'
+  source_ip       TEXT,
+  metadata        JSONB,
+  created_at      TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL DEFAULT now()
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_audit_created ON audit_events(created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_audit_actor ON audit_events(actor_type, actor_id);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_audit_action ON audit_events(action);
diff --git a/platform/api/src/audit.js b/platform/api/src/audit.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddae695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/api/src/audit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Platform-level security/admin audit log — distinct from the Provisioner's environment_events
+// (Lab lifecycle only). Never pass plaintext passwords, raw session tokens, Provisioner
+// secrets, or raw routing tokens into `metadata` — callers are responsible for that, this
+// module doesn't scrub input.
+
+async function recordAudit(pool, { actorType, actorId, action, resourceType, resourceId, result, sourceIp, metadata }) {
+  try {
+    await pool.query(
+      `INSERT INTO audit_events (actor_type, actor_id, action, resource_type, resource_id, result, source_ip, metadata)
+       VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8)`,
+      [actorType, actorId ? String(actorId) : null, action, resourceType || null, resourceId ? String(resourceId) : null,
+       result, sourceIp || null, metadata ? JSON.stringify(metadata) : null]
+    );
+  } catch (e) {
+    // Audit logging must never take down the request it's describing.
+    console.error('[audit] failed to record event:', action, e.message);
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = { recordAudit };