Could a session continue without a new login event?¶

Yes. After primary authentication, a session can remain usable for hours or days through cookies and access or refresh tokens. Later actions may therefore have no immediately preceding login event.

Session continuity is designed into modern services¶

Applications present existing session material instead of requesting the password for every action. Some platforms record validation or refresh events; others expose only the resulting application activity. Reauthentication may occur only after expiry, risk detection or a sensitive action.

The relevant primary login can be much earlier than the disputed event. The nearest login in time may even belong to a different session.

Follow the identifier and token lifecycle¶

Link activity to its session ID, device, client and source details. Establish when the session was created, refreshed and revoked, how long tokens remain valid, and whether logout or password change invalidates them.

Continuity is normal and does not prove compromise. It also does not show that the original user retained control: sessions can be copied, shared or used from an unlocked device. State what remained valid and use corroborating evidence to address who used it later.