Preparing Your Agency for Splunk 10 Now

The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed for use in computer systems of non-military United States government agencies and contractors.

These are both sets of standards that are frequently referred to within a cyber-security context. FIPS-140-2/3 both relate to the standard security requirements for cryptographic modules. FIPS-140-2 will eventually be replaced by FIPS-140-3, and this transition is upon us.

Splunk Cloud Platform and Splunk Enterprise announced a major upgrade to ensure the Splunk platform remains modernized and secure, for a digitally resilient, compliance-ready future. Splunk strongly encourages customers to proactively prepare their environments to ensure a seamless transition to the upgraded platform. Splunk Enterprise 10.0 and Splunk Cloud Platform 10.0 set a new standard for digital resilience, delivering FIPS 140-3 compliance, advanced encryption, and platform modernization.

By upgrading libraries like OpenSSL, Python, and Mongo, Splunk 10.0 enhances security and reduces attack surfaces while safeguarding sensitive data. New integrations with Splunk Observability Cloud simplify monitoring and troubleshooting, while an improved data management pipeline offers greater control, flexibility, and cost efficiency. Enhanced Dashboard Studio features make search, reporting, and publishing data insights more intuitive without compromising security. Splunk 10 empowers organizations to maintain a secure, cyber-prepared platform to confidently focus on business operations and priorities. In order to be prepared for the upcoming upgrade, here’s what you need to do to get ready.

Steps to Prepare for Your Splunk 10.0 Upgrade:

1. Review the Official Documentation: Start by thoroughly reading the Splunk Enterprise 10.0 Release Notes and Upgrade Manual. Pay close attention to system requirements, compatibility changes, and deprecated features.
2. Assess Your Current Environment: Understand your existing Splunk deployment architecture, including hardware, operating systems, installed apps, and custom configurations. Understand if you will have to take action on potential breaking changes in your Splunk environment. If your operations require compliance with the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), this article is particularly important to ensure that you meet all compliance requirements and maintain a FIPS-compliant environment. All customers who operate a Splunk Enterprise FIPS compliant environment will have until March 8, 2026, to complete the upgrade to Splunk Enterprise 10.0 to remain compliant with FIPS.
3. Plan Your Upgrade Path: Determine the most suitable upgrade method (e.g., in-place upgrade, migration) based on your environment's complexity and your agency's operational requirements. Use the Splunk Health Assistant Add-On, a vital tool that supplements the Splunk Enterprise Monitoring Console, designed to streamline your transition to Splunk Enterprise 10.0. Learn how to download this Add-On and use the targeted validations designed to ensure your deployment is ready for the upcoming upgrade.
4. Test in a Non-Production Environment: Before upgrading your production environment, perform a test upgrade on a staging or development instance that mirrors your production setup. This helps identify potential issues early.
5. Check App and Add-on Compatibility: Verify that all your critical Splunk apps and add-ons are compatible with Splunk Enterprise 10.0. Update or find alternatives if necessary.
6. Develop a Rollback Plan: Prepare a clear plan for reverting to your previous version in case any unforeseen issues arise during the production upgrade.
7. Engage with Splunk Resources: Leverage Splunk Support, professional services, or authorized partners for guidance and assistance throughout your planning and upgrade process.

For customers who need stronger cyber-preparedness to reduce the potential attack surface, prevent unauthorized data access, and protect sensitive data, Splunk Platform 10.0 is the hallmark of digital resilience. Setting a new standard with advanced encryption and FIPS compliance, Splunk Platform 10.0 allows administrators to confidently shift their focus from reactive security and compliance management to proactive business oversight and priorities.

For additional information and detailed upgrade guides, please visit the official Splunk Documentation portal. Splunk is ready to support you through this transition to a more secure and resilient platform.