Iternet Cafe Operators Alert: 180-Day Log Retention Is Not an Empty Warning

Internet cafes fall under the category of commercial internet access venues and have long been a key focus of cybersecurity supervision. Since Order No.176 officially took effect, inspections targeting real-name verification and internet logs have become more frequent. Many cafe operators mistakenly believe that casual log storage is enough for compliance. In reality, log management is where violations most often occur: systems may appear deployed on the surface yet fail to meet regulatory requirements.

Internet cafes are among the most tightly supervised access venues, and this trend continues under the new order. Inspections for real-name registration and log retention will only intensify.

I. Where Does the 180-Day Requirement Come From?

This is not an arbitrary requirement. Article 7 of Order No.176 highlights the inspection item: whether user registration information and internet access logs are recorded and retained in accordance with the law. Item (3) of Article 21 of the Cybersecurity Law stipulates that relevant network logs shall be retained for no less than six months.
AINOPOL Cloud Log Audit is designed for rolling log storage of at least 180 days. Operators shall follow longer retention rules specified by local public security authorities where applicable.

II. Three Common Pitfalls for Internet Cafes

1. Automatic overwriting once storage disk is full
   Cafes host numerous terminals and generate massive traffic, so logs expand rapidly. Without proper storage planning, records from months earlier get overwritten by new data. When inspectors request logs from three months prior, no records can be retrieved.
2. Logs cleared after device reboot
   Legacy hardware or makeshift custom systems may store logs in memory. All records are lost after power-off or restart.
3. Mismatch between real-name records and access logs
   Card-swiping login records and internet activity logs are kept on separate systems. When an incident occurs, operators cannot prove which user operated which terminal.

Penalties have already been issued across regions this year. An esports apartment hotel in Jiangsu received a rectification notice for missing real-name verification and insufficient log retention. An esports hotel in Deyang was warned for failure to log cybersecurity events. These are basic compliance failures, not incidents triggered by hacker intrusions.

III. Bind Logs with Real-name Identity, Store Locally for Traceability

Qualified cafe log systems must satisfy three core criteria: proper log storage location, unified dataset for authentication records and online behaviour, and retrievable user-based audit reports. AINOPOL’s solution delivers these three capabilities.

1. Rolling local hard disk storage for the full 180-day retention window
   The Dream Series Secure Optical Gateway paired with local hard disks stores internet logs in rolling mode to meet the 180-day requirement, with old records overwritten only after the retention period expires. Logs persist on physical storage instead of volatile memory and will not disappear after power cycles. Storage capacity is pre-planned to avoid premature overwriting of valid records.
2. Session binding: authentication accounts embedded directly into logs
   Powered by underlying session-binding technology, the Dream Gateway natively links authenticated accounts with online behaviour. Account information is written directly into log files, eliminating the need for cross-device data matching. Administrators can filter and export unified audit reports on the EAAS cloud platform or local management interface by mobile number and time range. Every access entry carries verified identity information. Card login data and browsing behaviour belong to the same session chain, rather than two isolated datasets.
3. For carrier-managed networks: Cloud Portal + Cloud Log Audit plug-in integration
   If the cafe’s network egress is a carrier ONT deployed by the operator, the ONT itself has no native real-name authentication or log retention functions. AINOPOL Cloud Portal connects to the ONT as a lightweight plug-in to push captive portal pages and support multi-channel identity verification. Cloud Log Audit correlates and stores behavioural logs in the cloud. No extra on-premises log server is required at the cafe.

The two deployment paths differ only in where data is hosted. The log field standard and correlation logic remain identical: self-built networks adopt the closed-loop All-in-One Communication & Encryption solution with Dream Gateway for local storage; carrier networks implement cloud closed-loop management via Cloud Portal and Cloud Log Audit.

Many internet cafes previously prioritized attack defence while overlooking foundational compliance such as log retention, resulting in rectification warnings. Under the normalized inspection regime, log availability, retrievability and traceability have become non-negotiable thresholds. AINOPOL’s two scenario-based solutions unify real-name authentication and access session logs, guarantee stable 180-day rolling retention, prevent log interruption and data loss, and support long-term compliance management for internet cafes.

FAQ

Q1: How long must internet access logs be kept for internet cafes?
A1: Follow requirements issued by local public security organs. Article 21(3) of the Cybersecurity Law requires a minimum six-month retention period. Cloud Log Audit supports rolling storage for no less than 180 days.

Q2: Is it a violation if older logs get overwritten?
A2: Yes. All records within the mandatory retention window must remain complete and retrievable. Insufficient storage leading to premature overwriting counts as a failure to fulfil log retention obligations.

Q3: How can cafes self-check whether logs meet compliance standards?
A3: Randomly test records of a specific terminal on a day three months earlier. If you can export logs associated with the corresponding user identity, the system passes the test. If records cannot be retrieved, rectification is urgently needed.