METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTHENTICATION OF CONFIGURATION ITEMS VIA CONFIGURATION ITEM CHANGE ANALYSIS

A method comprises retrieving a change history for each of one or more configuration items for a specified time period, retrieving requests for change identifiers utilized for each of the configuration items in the specified time period, generating an audit report for the configuration items in accordance with the retrieved change history and the retrieve request for change identifiers, determining if each attribute value change in the change history of each of the configuration items is authorized, and recording a marker in the change history through which a given configuration item has authorized changes. Determining if each value change is authorized comprises comparing changes in the retrieved change history to the retrieved request for change identifiers for each of the configuration items to distinguish value changes that occurred without a request for change from value changes that occurred with a request for change.