The answer is immutable storage, specifically the WORM (Write Once, Read Many) policy for Azure Blob Storage. This feature is the correct choice because it enforces a time-based retention policy that prevents any user—including subscription administrators—from modifying or deleting audit log blobs after they are written, directly satisfying the security requirement to protect Azure SQL audit logs from tampering. On the AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of data protection controls for compliance-driven environments, often appearing as a distractor against soft delete or versioning; the key trap is that soft delete only protects against accidental deletion, not malicious tampering by an admin. For a memory tip, think “WORM for WORM-proof logs”—immutable storage locks data like a worm burrowing in, making it unchangeable for the set retention period.
AZ-500 Secure compute, storage, and databases Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure compute, storage, and databases. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company enables Azure SQL Database auditing to log database events to a storage account. The security policy requires that the audit logs be protected from tampering and deletion after they are written. Which storage account feature should the company enable to ensure that audit log files cannot be modified or deleted by anyone for a specified retention period?
Why wrong: Soft delete allows recovery of recently deleted blobs but does not prevent intentional deletion by users with write permissions. Audit logs could be tampered with before recovery.
B
Immutable storage
Immutable storage (WORM) enforces a retention policy that blocks any modification or deletion of blobs for a specified duration, perfect for preserving audit logs.
C
Hierarchical namespace
Why wrong: Hierarchical namespace is used for Data Lake Storage to organize files into directories; it does not provide immutability or delete protection.
D
Firewall and virtual networks
Why wrong: Network access controls restrict who can connect to the storage account but do not prevent users who have access from modifying or deleting logs.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Immutable storage
Immutable storage for Azure Blob Storage provides a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) policy that prevents audit log files from being modified or deleted by any user, including administrators, for a specified retention period. This directly meets the security requirement to protect audit logs from tampering and deletion after they are written.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Soft delete
Why it's wrong here
Soft delete allows recovery of recently deleted blobs but does not prevent intentional deletion by users with write permissions. Audit logs could be tampered with before recovery.
✓
Immutable storage
Why this is correct
Immutable storage (WORM) enforces a retention policy that blocks any modification or deletion of blobs for a specified duration, perfect for preserving audit logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Hierarchical namespace
Why it's wrong here
Hierarchical namespace is used for Data Lake Storage to organize files into directories; it does not provide immutability or delete protection.
✗
Firewall and virtual networks
Why it's wrong here
Network access controls restrict who can connect to the storage account but do not prevent users who have access from modifying or deleting logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse soft delete with immutable storage, thinking that soft delete's ability to recover deleted blobs is sufficient for tamper-proofing, but soft delete does not prevent modification or deletion in the first place.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Immutable storage uses a time-based retention policy that locks blobs at the container level, enforcing a WORM state that cannot be overridden even by storage account owners or Azure RBAC administrators. The retention period is set in days and must be explicitly extended; once locked, the policy cannot be shortened or removed. In a real-world scenario, if an attacker compromises a storage account key, immutable storage ensures audit logs remain intact and forensically valid for compliance with regulations like SEC 17a-4 or FINRA.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-500 question in full detail.
Secure compute, storage, and databases — This question tests Secure compute, storage, and databases — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Immutable storage — Immutable storage for Azure Blob Storage provides a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) policy that prevents audit log files from being modified or deleted by any user, including administrators, for a specified retention period. This directly meets the security requirement to protect audit logs from tampering and deletion after they are written.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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