All United States federal departments and agencies are facing significant packet capture requirements that may force IT organizations to modernize infrastructure and operations.

 

On May 12, 2021, the White House issued Executive Order 14028, which details policies and requirements for improving the federal government’s response to cybersecurity incidents. Among the several phased requirements for data retention related to digital infrastructure, the executive order includes a February 27, 2023 deadline for compliance with a new packet capture requirement. By that date, according to an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo, all federal agencies and departments must start capturing and retaining 72 hours’ worth of all packet data that traverses their networks, both on-premises and in the cloud.