# Ensure that the --audit-log-maxage argument is set to 30 or as appropriate

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000234605-ensure-that-the-audit-log-maxage-argument-is-set-to-30-or-as-appropriate
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.9.0](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112690) › [CIS Kubernetes Benchmark](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/62000169256)
- Last updated: 2026-05-29
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

### Profile Applicability:

-   **Level 1**  
      
    

### Description:

The \--audit-log-maxage argument specifies the maximum number of days to retain audit logs before they are deleted. Setting this argument to a value such as 30 ensures that audit logs are retained for a reasonable period, complying with security and compliance requirements while preventing excessive accumulation of old logs that could consume storage.

### Rationale:

Limiting the retention of audit logs helps ensure that logs are available for investigation and compliance purposes, while also managing disk space and preventing the build-up of outdated data. A value like 30 days is typically recommended for most environments, balancing the need for log retention with storage management.

### Impact:

Pros:  

-   Helps manage disk space by automatically deleting old audit logs.  
    
-   Ensures that logs are retained for a sufficient period for troubleshooting, compliance audits, and security investigations.  
    

Cons:  

-   If the retention period is too short, audit logs may not be available for longer-term investigations or compliance reporting.  
    
-   Requires careful management of log rotation to avoid accidental log loss before the retention period ends.  
    

### Default Value:

The default value is typically not set, meaning there is no log retention configured by default unless explicitly defined.

### Pre-requisites:

-   Ensure that log rotation and storage management practices are in place to handle audit logs.  
    
-   Consider regulatory and organizational requirements when setting the log retention period.  
    

### Test Plan:

#### Using AWS Console:

1.  Sign in to the AWS Management Console.  
    
2.  Navigate to your EKS Cluster.  
    
3.  Go to the API server configuration and check the \--audit-log-maxage argument to ensure it is set to 30 or another appropriate value based on your retention policy.
    

#### Using AWS CLI:

Run the following AWS CLI command to describe your EKS cluster's configuration:

aws eks describe-cluster --name <cluster-name> --query "cluster.config"

1.  Ensure that the \--audit-log-maxage argument is set to 30 or an appropriate value in the configuration.
    

### Implementation Plan:

#### Using AWS Console:

1.  Navigate to the EKS cluster in the AWS Console.  
    
2.  Under the Cluster Configuration section, modify the API server's settings.  
    
3.  Set the \--audit-log-maxage argument to 30 or another appropriate value based on your retention policy.
    
4.  Save the configuration and apply the changes.  
    

#### Using AWS CLI:

Update the \--audit-log-maxage argument to 30 or an appropriate value:

aws eks update-cluster-config --name <cluster-name> --kubernetes-version <kubernetes-version> --audit-log-maxage 30

### Backout Plan

#### Using AWS Console:

1.  Navigate to the EKS cluster's API server configuration.  
    
2.  If necessary, revert the \--audit-log-maxage argument to a previous retention period.
    
3.  Save the configuration and redeploy the cluster.  
    

#### Using AWS CLI:

If issues occur, revert the change using:

aws eks update-cluster-config --name <cluster-name> --kubernetes-version <kubernetes-version> --audit-log-maxage <previous-maxage-value>

### References:

-   [EKS Cluster Management  
    ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/what-is-eks.html)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.