Merge pull request #290790 from AbhishekMallick-MS/Nov-20-2024-Imm

Immutable vault updates

Author: prmerger-automator[bot]

articles/backup/backup-azure-immutable-vault-concept.md

@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ ms.author: v-abhmallick
 
 Immutable vault can help you protect your backup data by blocking any operations that could lead to loss of recovery points. Further, you can lock the Immutable vault setting to make it irreversible and use WORM storage for backups to prevent any malicious actors from disabling immutability and deleting backups.
 
-## Before you start
+## Supported scenarios for WORM storage
 
 - Use of WORM storage for immutable vaults in locked state is currently in GA for Recovery Services Vaults in the following regions: Australia Central 2, Switzerland West, South Africa West, Korea Central, Germany North, Korea South, Spain Central.
 - Use of WORM storage for immutable vaults in locked state is applicable for the following workloads: Azure Virtual machines, SQL in Azure VM, SAP HANA in Azure VM, Azure Backup Server, Azure Backup Agent, DPM.
+
+## Before you start
+
 - Immutable vault is available in all Azure public and US Government regions.
 - Immutable vault is supported for Recovery Services vaults and Backup vaults.
 - Enabling Immutable vault blocks you from performing specific operations on the vault and its protected items. See the [restricted operations](#restricted-operations).

articles/backup/whats-new.md

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ You can learn more about the new releases by bookmarking this page or by [subscr
 ## Updates summary
 
 - November 2024
+  - [Secure by Default with Vault soft delete (preview)](#secure-by-default-with-vault-soft-delete-preview)
+  - [WORM enabled Immutable Storage for Recovery Services vaults is now generally available](#worm-enabled-immutable-storage-for-recovery-services-vaults-is-now-generally-available)
   - [Cross Subscription Backup support for Azure File Share (preview)](#cross-subscription-backup-support-for-azure-file-share-preview)
   - [Back up SAP ASE (Sybase) database (preview)](#back-up-sap-ase-sybase-database-preview)   
   - [Vaulted backup and Cross Region Restore support for AKS is now generally available](#vaulted-backup-and-cross-region-restore-support-for-aks-is-now-generally-available) 
@@ -98,6 +100,22 @@ You can learn more about the new releases by bookmarking this page or by [subscr
 - February 2021
   - [Backup for Azure Blobs (in preview)](#backup-for-azure-blobs-in-preview)
 
+## Secure by Default with Vault soft delete (preview)
+ 
+Azure Backup now provides the **Secure By default with Vault soft delete (preview)** feature that applies soft delete by default at all granularities - vaults, recovery points, containers and backup items. Azure Backup now ensures that all the backup data is recoverable against ransomware attacks by default and has no cost for *14 days*. You don't need to opt in to get *fair* security level for your backup data. You can update the soft delete retention period as per your preference up to *180 days*.
+
+Soft delete provides data recoverability from malicious or accidental deletions and is enabled by default for all vaults. To make soft delete irreversible, you can use **always-on** soft delete.
+
+For more information, see [Secure by Default with Azure Backup (Preview)](secure-by-default.md).
+
+## WORM enabled Immutable Storage for Recovery Services vaults is now generally available
+
+Azure Backup now provides immutable WORM storage for your backups when immutability is enabled and locked on a Recovery Services vault. When immutability is enabled, Azure Backup ensures that a Recovery Point, once created, can't be deleted or have  its retention period reduced before its intended expiry. 
+
+When immutability is locked, Azure Backup also uses WORM-enabled immutable storage to meet any compliance requirements. This feature is applicable to both existing and new vaults with locked immutability.WORM immutability is available in [these regions](backup-azure-immutable-vault-concept.md#supported-scenarios-for-worm-storage). 
+
+For more information, see [About Immutable vault for Azure Backup](backup-azure-immutable-vault-concept.md).
+
 ## Cross Subscription Backup support for Azure File Share (preview)
 
 Azure Backup now supports Cross Subscription Backup (CSB) for Azure File Shares (preview), allowing you to back up data across different subscriptions within the same tenant or Microsoft Entra ID. This capability offers greater flexibility and control, essentially for enterprises managing multiple subscriptions with varying purposes and security policies.