---
title: Logs for API server audits should be retained for 30 days
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Logs for API server audits should be
  retained for 30 days
---

# Logs for API server audits should be retained for 30 days
Classification:complianceFramework:cis-kubernetesControl:1.2.23 
## Description{% #description %}

Retain the logs for at least 30 days or as appropriate.

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

Retaining logs for at least 30 days ensures that you can go back in time and investigate or correlate any events. Set your audit log retention period to 30 days or as per your business requirements.

## Audit{% #audit %}

Run the following command on the master node:

```
ps -ef | grep kube-apiserver
```

Verify that the `--audit-log-maxage` argument is set to `30` or as appropriate.

## Remediation{% #remediation %}

Edit the API server pod specification file `/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml` on the master node and set the `--audit-log-maxage` parameter to `30` or as an appropriate number of days: `--audit-log-maxage=30`

## Impact{% #impact %}

None

## Default value{% #default-value %}

By default, auditing is not enabled.

## References{% #references %}

1. [https://kubernetes.io/docs/admin/kube-apiserver/](https://kubernetes.io/docs/admin/kube-apiserver/)
1. [https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/cluster-administration/audit/](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/cluster-administration/audit/)
1. [https://github.com/kubernetes/features/issues/22](https://github.com/kubernetes/features/issues/22)

## CIS controls{% #cis-controls %}

Version 6 6.3 Ensure Audit Logging Systems Are Not Subject To Loss (i.e. rotation/archive) Ensure that all systems that store logs have adequate storage space for the logs generated on a regular basis, so that log files will not fill up between log rotation intervals. The logs must be archived and digitally signed on a periodic basis. Version 7 6.4 Ensure adequate storage for logs Ensure that all systems that store logs have adequate storage space for the logs generated.