What Is Audit Log Retention?

Audit log retention is the rule set determining how long audit records, which capture actions and actors across a system, are stored before deletion. It balances the cost of storage against the need to reconstruct events long after they occur. Many frameworks mandate minimum retention periods for these logs.

Why it matters

If logs are purged too soon, an investigation into a breach or a disputed deployment has no evidence to work from. Retention policy ensures the trail survives long enough to be useful.

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