Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertImplement and manage Microsoft Purview complianceEasy
A company uses Microsoft Purview to manage compliance. They need to ensure that all Microsoft 365 audit logs are retained for at least seven years to meet regulatory requirements. Currently, the default audit log retention is 90 days for most activities. The company has an E5 subscription. What is the most efficient way to achieve this requirement?
- AUse PowerShell cmdlets to manually export audit logs periodically and store them in an Azure Storage account for seven years.
- BEnable 'Advanced Audit' settings in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, which automatically extends retention for all activities to seven years.
- CUpgrade the Microsoft 365 subscription to a higher tier that offers longer default audit log retention.
- DCreate a custom audit log retention policy in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and set the duration to seven years, applying it to all activities.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Create a custom audit log retention policy in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and set the duration to seven years, applying it to all activities.
With an E5 subscription, customers can create custom audit log retention policies in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. This allows them to specify retention durations longer than the default, up to 10 years for most activities, directly within the service, making it the most efficient and integrated solution.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Manually exporting logs is cumbersome, prone to errors, and not the most efficient or integrated solution provided by Microsoft 365 E5 capabilities.
- B. While E5 includes 'Advanced Audit', merely enabling it does not automatically extend all audit log retention to seven years; custom policies are still required for specific durations beyond default.
- C. The company already has an E5 subscription, which is sufficient for this requirement; a higher tier is not necessary.
Custom Audit Log Retention
Microsoft 365 E5 subscriptions allow organizations to define custom retention policies for audit logs, extending retention periods beyond the default for compliance.
- Available with Microsoft 365 E5 or Purview Audit Premium.
- Allows setting retention durations up to 10 years for most activities.
- Configured in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
Memory trick: E5 unlocks the power to customize log timelines.