1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising: detecting one or more changes to an element at a data processing node by comparing a current state of the element to a baseline state of the element, the data processing node being a data processing node within an information technology (IT) infrastructure, the detected changes comprising a change to a configuration of the data processing node or a change to a file at the data processing node; determining whether the detected changes include any unknown out-of-band changes by comparing a first memorialization of the detected changes to a second memorialization of one or more in-band changes that should have been made at the data processing node; determining whether the detected changes conform to a conformance authority, the conformance authority comprising guidelines that define changes as conforming or nonconforming; if the detected changes are conforming and in-band changes, updating the baseline state of the element to the current state; and if the detected changes include a non-conforming or out-of-band change, generating an alert instead of updating the baseline state of the element to the current state.