How to Achieve 180-Day Log Retention on All-Optical Networks: A Detailed Compliance Solution for Cybersecurity Classified Protection 2.0

System integrators serving enterprise campus networks frequently encounter two core compliance questions: How long must internet access logs be retained, and what configuration meets official standards? What technical and administrative measures are required to satisfy Classified Protection 2.0 requirements after implementation? Compliance cannot rely on guesswork; relevant policies and implementation roadmaps must be clarified systematically. Below are clear answers to the most common concerns raised by enterprise owners and IT managers.

I. Is "180-day log retention" a mandatory regulatory requirement?

Strictly speaking, laws stipulate logs shall be retained for no less than six months. The 180-day benchmark is the widely adopted practical conversion standard rather than an arbitrary figure.

• Article 21 of the Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China: Operators shall deploy technical measures to monitor and record network operation status and cybersecurity incidents, and retain relevant network logs for no less than six months as required.
• Article 10 of Order No.151 of the Ministry of Public Security (Provisions on Internet Security Supervision and Inspection by Public Security Organs): Inspectors verify whether entities have adopted technical measures to record and retain user registration information and internet access logs.

Six months equals approximately 180 calendar days, making "180-day log retention" the baseline compliance standard widely adopted for enterprise campus networks. Entities failing to implement real-name authentication or maintain complete log records may face warnings, fines, disconnection orders or even rectification suspension in accordance with Article 59 of the Cybersecurity Law. In short, log retention and auditing are unavoidable requirements for enterprise campus network construction.

II. What exact audit requirements does Classified Protection 2.0 impose?

Classified Protection 2.0 (based on GB/T 22239-2019) does not merely require basic log recording. Clear technical constraints apply to security auditing:

• Audit scope must cover individual end users instead of only network devices;
• Log entries must contain complete fields: date & timestamp, user identity, event type, event success status and other associated information.

These combined criteria serve as the benchmark for enterprises to evaluate audit compliance. Simply generating logs with incomplete fields, or logs that can be arbitrarily deleted, cannot pass assessment.

III. Why Traditional Campus Networks Constantly Fail the 180-Day Retention Requirement?

Most enterprises intend to achieve compliance, yet legacy architectures inherently create obstacles. Common pitfalls include:

1. Distributed log silos: Separate devices handle behavior management, firewalls and authentication systems with inconsistent log formats, complicating aggregation and retrieval.
2. Insufficient storage planning: Storage capacity is undersized, leading to automatic log overwriting and data loss over long retention cycles.
3. Incomplete log fields: Missing critical metadata including MAC address, IP address, authenticated account and target URL, leaving insufficient evidence for incident investigation.
4. Difficult regulatory interconnection: Lack of standard interfaces to connect with public security monitoring platforms, requiring manual export during inspections with low efficiency.
5. Fragmented multi-site deployment: Independent audit policies and ledgers across multiple campuses and branches without unified headquarters governance.

These overlapping challenges stem fundamentally from patchwork network architectures rather than isolated hardware defects.

IV. How Does the AINOPOL All-Optical Solution Satisfy 180-Day Retention and Classified Protection 2.0 in One Deployment?

The AINOPOL Integrated Communication & Security enterprise campus solution converges network transmission and native security capabilities onto a unified all-optical infrastructure, eliminating audit blind spots from the ground up. For log and classified protection compliance, the core strengths are outlined below:

1. Unified log collection source: The PON passive optical network carries full services including office communications, voice, surveillance and R&D systems. A security multi-service gateway deployed at the campus egress centrally collects internet access behavior logs, eliminating reliance on fragmented multi-device aggregation.
2. Complete standardized log fields: Logs systematically record MAC address, IP address, authenticated user account, timestamp, accessed URL and other mandatory metadata to satisfy evidentiary audit requirements.
3. Local storage supporting 180-day retention: Onboard local storage maintains logs for a minimum of 180 days, fulfilling the six-month statutory requirement.
4. One-click export & regulatory platform interconnection: Support one-click log export and integration with public security monitoring platforms to rapidly produce evidence during official inspections.
5. EAAS cloud O&M platform: Provides real-time online user visibility, displaying connected device MAC, IP, authenticated identity and online duration to facilitate verification and remote supervision.

The architecture fully aligns with technical dimensions defined under Classified Protection 2.0:

• Regional boundary: Deploy firewalls and IPS for access control and intrusion prevention;
• Communication network: The all-optical architecture reduces active network nodes and shrinks the attack surface;
• Computing environment: Enforce real-name authentication (DingTalk, SMS, Portal, whitelisting, etc.) and identify over 3,000 application protocols for refined behavior control;
• Security management center: The EAAS cloud platform delivers a unified dashboard for network status, online users and security alerts.

Where applicable, security hardware certified with the Sales License for Special Products of Computer Information System Security further assists enterprises in meeting classified protection requirements for legitimate security equipment.

V. Pre-Implementation Preparation Checklist

Technology is only one component; management procedures must be established simultaneously. Enterprises are advised to prioritize the following work items:

1. Confirm classified protection grading, and arrange formal assessment and rectification as needed;
2. Deploy an egress gateway supporting unified log auditing and real-name authentication, ensuring complete fields, minimum 180-day retention and regular data backup;
3. Isolate employee internal networks from visitor networks, and enforce real-name registration for guest internet access;
4. Implement boundary protection (firewall/IPS) and terminal admission control;
5. Formulate documented network security management systems and operational procedures, and appoint a dedicated network security responsible person;
6. Conduct periodic self-inspections of log integrity and device operational status to support one-click evidence export when required.

Following these six steps transforms Classified Protection 2.0 and 180-day log retention from last-minute emergency fixes into sustained compliance.

Deploying compliant network hardware constitutes critical technical support for enterprises to fulfill statutory obligations. Nevertheless, effective implementation of Classified Protection 2.0 and Order No.151 relies on coordinated management systems, grading filing and continuous operation & maintenance. Please note that formal classified protection assessments must be conducted by qualified authorized evaluators; solution vendors provide foundational technical capabilities and do not issue official assessment conclusions.

The AINOPOL Integrated Communication & Security solution enables enterprises to build unified capabilities for real-name authentication, behavior auditing and long-term log retention. Specific implementation should be coordinated with professional security services and requirements issued by local cybersecurity and public security authorities.

FAQ

Q: Does renovating an older campus to all-optical network require complete recabling?
A: AINOPOL leverages solutions such as POF optical-electrical composite cables to reuse existing weak-current pipelines. Large-scale civil reconstruction can be avoided in most scenarios, subject to on-site survey results.

Q: Will storing logs for 180 days create excessive storage pressure?
A: Consumption depends on user scale and logging granularity. The solution balances capacity via local persistent storage, scheduled backup and on-demand export. A capacity assessment can be completed prior to deployment based on campus scale.

Q: What scale of campuses is this solution suitable for?
A: It covers micro enterprises (10–50 users), small & medium campuses (50–300 users), medium-sized industrial parks (300–2000 users) and smart factories. Resources can be configured flexibly according to scale.