# Ensure Soft Delete Is Enabled for Azure Containers and Blob Storage

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000234868-ensure-soft-delete-is-enabled-for-azure-containers-and-blob-storage
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [Azure Storage Services Benchmark v1.0.0](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112694) › [Azure Storage Services Benchmark](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/62000169262)
- Last updated: 2026-05-29
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

Profile Applicability:

-   **Level 1**

Description:  
 Soft Delete protects blobs and containers in Azure Storage by retaining deleted data for a configurable retention period. This feature allows recovery of deleted blobs or containers within the retention window, safeguarding against accidental or malicious deletions.

Rationale:  
 Enabling Soft Delete minimizes data loss risks by providing a recovery option for deleted storage objects. It supports business continuity and compliance with data retention policies.

Impact:

Pros:  

-   Prevents permanent loss of data due to accidental or malicious deletions.  
    
-   Enhances recovery capabilities and data protection.  
    
-   Supports regulatory compliance.  
    

Cons:  

-   May increase storage costs due to retained deleted data.  
    
-   Requires management of retention settings.  
    

Default Value:  
 Soft Delete is disabled by default and requires explicit activation.

Pre-requisites:

-   Azure Storage Account with Blob service enabled.  
    
-   Permissions to configure blob service properties.  
    

### Remediation

Test Plan:

**Using Azure Portal:**

1.  Sign in to [https://portal.azure.com](https://portal.azure.com/).  
    
2.  Navigate to the Storage Account.  
    
3.  Under Data Protection, verify that Soft Delete for blobs and containers is enabled and retention days are set.
    

**Using Azure CLI:**

1.  Check soft delete settings:  
    
    \# az storage blob service-properties show --account-name --query deleteRetentionPolicy
    
2.  Confirm enabled is true and retention days are configured.
    

### Implementation Plan

**Using Azure Portal:**

1.  **Enable Soft Delete for blobs and containers in the Storage Account’s Data Protection settings.**
    
2.  **Set an appropriate retention period (e.g., 7 days).  
    **
    
3.  **Save and validate the configuration.  
    **
    

****Using Azure CLI:****

1.  **Enable soft delete with retention days:  
    **
    
    **\# az storage blob service-properties update --account-name --enable-delete-retention true --delete-retention-days**
    
2.  Verify the setting.  
    

### Backout Plan

**Using Azure Portal:**

1.  Disable Soft Delete if necessary.  
    
2.  Understand risk of permanent deletion without recovery option.  
    

**Using Azure CLI:**

Disable soft delete:  

\# az storage blob service-properties update --account-name --enable-delete-retention false

References:

-   [Azure Blob Storage Soft Delete  
    ](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-overview)[Data Protection for Azure Storage  
    ](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-data-protection)

## 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.