How ServiceNow's Log Export Service Helps Federal Agencies Support M-21-31 Mandate

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In response to growing cybersecurity threats, the U.S. federal government issued OMB Memorandum M-21-31, setting clear expectations for logging, log retention, and centralized access to system logs. For government agencies leveraging ServiceNow as a core part of their IT and security operations, Log Export Service (LES) is a crucial tool in helping achieve and maintain compliance with these new federal requirements.

Let’s explore how the ServiceNow® Log Export Service aligns with the key pillars of M-21-31 and supports federal agencies on their journey toward improved visibility, response, and resilience.

Understanding M-21-31: The Logging Mandate

Issued by the  Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in June 2021, M-21-31 lays out a government-wide mandate to strengthen event logging practices in support of federal cybersecurity goals, including:

• Event Logging Tier Model: Four implementation tiers (0–3) defining the maturity of an organization’s logging and log management capabilities.
• Log Categories: Detailed guidance on event types to be collected, such as authentication logs, network traffic, endpoint activity, and more.
• Retention Requirements: Mandates storing certain log types for 12 months online and 18 months offline.
• Centralized Access: Logs must be accessible by designated Security Operations Centers (SOCs) or federal investigators such as CISA or the FBI.

ServiceNow Log Export Service: Overview

The ServiceNow Log Export Service (LES) enables customers to continuously export system logs from the ServiceNow Platform to an external system of their choosing—such as a SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) or log archive solution.

Key features include:

• Real-time streaming of logs via the Kafka protocol
• Support for long-term storage in external systems
• Granular filtering 
• Export of logs relevant to security, authentication, access control, and platform activity

Learn more: ServiceNow Log Export Service Documentation

How LES Supports M-21-31 Requirements

✅ Centralized Log Visibility

LES allows agencies to export logs in near-real-time to a central location, enabling authorized SOCs or external investigators to access relevant data without delays. This supports M-21-31’s requirement for centralized access to logs, particularly for incident response and threat hunting.

✅ Event Logging Maturity

To support aspects of M-21-31, agencies must collect and retain the full set of event logging categories. LES facilitates this by allowing configuration of platform events such as:

• Login and authentication events
• User activity logs
• API calls
• Change management actions

This helps ensure visibility into actions across the ServiceNow instance.

✅ Retention and Export Flexibility

In order to retain logs for the full M-21-31 retention period, LES would be used to stream logs to external log-term storage, which can be configured to meet the 12-month online and 18-months offline requirements.

Agencies can connect LES to cloud-based data lakes (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage), SIEM platforms, or on-premises solutions with compliant retention policies. It is the responsibility of the agency, as the data controller,  to determine whether the storage solution meets security and compliance requirements for storing logs from federal information systems.

✅ Support for Automation and Monitoring

LES supports integration with automated monitoring tools that can alert on anomalous behavior or enforce Zero Trust policies, aligning with broader cybersecurity mandates beyond M-21-31 (such as EO 14028).

How to Get Log Export Service (LES)

ServiceNow makes LES accessible in multiple ways:

• Starter Tier:  LES is provided without any additional charges for a specified volume of exported log data—ideal for smaller organizations or trial initiatives.
• Scalable Licensing: If you need more capacity, you can purchase additional LES usage based on your data volume and retention strategy.
• Included with ServiceNow Vault: LES is bundled with ServiceNow Vault, a premium security and compliance offering designed for regulated industries and public sector needs.

Why Consider ServiceNow Vault?

The ServiceNow Vault bundle provides an advanced security toolkit, including:

• Data Classification and Obfuscation
• Code Signing
• External Key Management
• Automated Compliance Reporting
• Log Export Service

ServiceNow Vault gives agencies the controls, visibility, and encryption capabilities needed to operate securely and comply with mandates like M-21-31, EO 14028, and FISMA.

🛡️ ServiceNow Vault = Better security posture + streamlined compliance

Final Thoughts

Federal agencies using ServiceNow Log Export Service can better align with M-21-31's logging and retention requirements. With ServiceNow Vault, agencies gain an integrated approach to security, audit readiness, and threat response.

Whether you're starting small with the free tier or scaling through ServiceNow Vault, LES helps ensure your logs are accessible, actionable, and compliant.

Need guidance on implementation or integration with your SIEM or cloud archive?
 Let’s discuss how a secure and compliant architecture could work for your mission.