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MON-13: Event Log & Security-Relevant Telemetry Retention

MON 10 — Critical Detect

Mechanisms exist to retain event logs and security-relevant telemetry for a time period consistent with records retention requirements to provide support for after-the-fact investigations of security incidents and to meet statutory, regulatory and contractual retention requirements.

Renumbered: Formerly MON-10 in SCF 2025.4.

Code reused: In SCF 2025.4 and earlier, MON-13 was Alternate Event Logging Capability. That control is now MON-35.

Control Question: Does the organization retain event logs for a time period consistent with records retention requirements to provide support for after-the-fact investigations of security incidents and to meet statutory, regulatory and contractual retention requirements?

General (35)
US (18)
EMEA (14)
Framework Mapping Values
EMEA Germany C5 2026 OPS-10.01B.3 OPS-12.01B.2 OPS-12.01B.3 OPS-14.01B OPS-14.02B OPS-26.04B
EMEA EU AI Act Article 19.1 Article 19.2
EMEA EU DORA RTS 2024 Article 8.2(b)(iii) Article 12.2(a) Article 21.1(e)(i) Article 22.1(d)
EMEA EU NIS2 Annex 2024 3.2.3 3.2.5
EMEA UK CAF 4.0 C1.b
EMEA UK DEFSTAN 05-138 2024 3103 3107
EMEA UK DEFSTAN 05-138 - L1 2024 3107
EMEA UK DEFSTAN 05-138 - L2 2024 3103 3107
EMEA UK DEFSTAN 05-138 - L3 2024 3103 3107
EMEA LUX CCSF 20/750 2020 3.4.2-31.d
EMEA Saudi Arabia IoT CGIoT-1 2024 2-11-1
EMEA Saudi Arabia CSCC-1 2019 2-11-2
EMEA Saudi Arabia ECC-1 2018 2-12-3-5 2-14-3-3
EMEA Saudi Arabia SACS-002 2022 VII.B.TPC-75
APAC (8)
Framework Mapping Values
APAC Australia CCM 2026 DET-01
APAC Australia ISM June 2026 ISM-1213 ISM-1988 ISM-1989
APAC India RBI PPI 2025 6.3
APAC India SEBI CSCRF 2024 PR.AA.S9
APAC Malaysia RMiT 2025 10.42 10.57(c) A3-1(f) A10-B13(b)
APAC New Zealand HISF Microsmall 2023 HMS18
APAC New Zealand NZISM 3.9 16.6.13.C.05
APAC Singapore CCOP CII 2026 6.1.4(c) 6.1.4(e)
Americas (3)

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

Practices are non-existent, based on the inability to demonstrate an implemented and operational capability. A reasonable person would conclude the control is not being performed.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

Continuous Monitoring (MON) domain capabilities are ad hoc and inconsistent. Capability criteria associated with this control may include: ▪ Policies, standards & procedures associated with MON domain capabilities provide limited coverage due to the depth and breadth of the existing documentation. ▪ Event monitoring-related activities are decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices. ▪ Monitoring is primarily reactive in nature, focused on identifying incidents that occurred. ▪ Event log reviews primarily rely on manual processes to identify anomalous behaviors.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Continuous Monitoring (MON) capabilities are requirements-driven, but are not standardized across the entity (e.g., local/regional level consistency). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with MON domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with MON domain capabilities are documented and maintained by process owners. ▪ IT and/or cybersecurity personnel work with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with MON domain capabilities to address applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). ▪ Continuous monitoring-related controls are primarily administrative and preventative in nature (e.g., policies, standards and procedures & guidelines). ▪ Continuous monitoring may be a defined function (e.g., team or department) or assigned as an additional duty to existing IT and/or cybersecurity personnel.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Continuous Monitoring (MON) capabilities are standardized across the entity for applicability to People, Processes, Technologies, Data and/or Facilities (PPTDF) to ensure consistency for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with MON domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function. ▪ Cybersecurity personnel use a structured process via Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) to review and analyze logs. ▪ A Security Operations Center (SOC) team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain MON domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of continuous monitoring operations (e.g., Security Incident Event Manager (SIEM)). ▪ The entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function, works with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with MON domain capabilities to address Minimum Compliance Requirements (MCR) (e.g., applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements) and Discretionary Security Requirements (DSR) (e.g., entity-required controls). ▪ Secure Baseline Configurations (SBC) enforce security event logging to contain sufficient information to establish necessary details of activity and allow for forensics analysis. ▪ An implemented and operational capability exists to retain event logs for a time period consistent with records retention requirements to provide support for after-the-fact investigations of security incidents and to meet statutory, regulatory and contractual retention requirements.

Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ While it may be possible to develop “metrics-driven” capabilities for this control, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Level 5 — Continuously Improving

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 or Level 4 (if available) criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ Level 5 capabilities should be considered “world-class” where the control builds on Level 4 capabilities, but are continuously improving through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Learning (ML) technologies. ▪ While it may be possible to develop responsive capabilities for this control through the use of AI and/or ML technologies, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Assessment Objectives

  1. MON-13_A01 a time period to retain audit records that is consistent with the records retention policy is defined.
  2. MON-13_A02 audit records are retained for a time period consistent with the records retention policy.
  3. MON-13_A03 security-relevant telemetry is retained for a time period consistent with records retention requirements and applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual retention requirements.

Evidence Requirements

E-AST-11 Data Retention Program

Documented evidence of a formal data retention program that governs the retention and destruction of data types.

Asset Management

Technology Recommendations

Micro/Small

  • Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)
  • Log retention policy (minimum 90 days online, 1 year archived)
  • Cloud log storage (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Storage)

Small

  • Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)
  • Log retention policy (minimum 90 days online, 1 year archived)
  • Cloud SIEM with configurable retention

Medium

  • Security Incident Event Manager (SIEM) with defined retention schedules
  • Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)
  • Log archiving to cold storage (e.g., AWS S3 Glacier, Azure Archive)

Large

  • SIEM with tiered log retention (hot/warm/cold storage)
  • Log retention policy aligned to regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA 6 yrs, PCI DSS 1 yr)
  • Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)

Enterprise

  • Enterprise log retention program aligned to all applicable regulations
  • SIEM with tiered retention (hot/warm/cold storage)
  • Immutable log archives (e.g., AWS S3 Object Lock, Azure Blob WORM)
  • Legal hold capability for investigation support

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