Verify Tenant Deletion Paths

Deleting an organization row does not necessarily remove its data. Files, search entries, exports, queued jobs, analytics, and backups may retain copies. A deletion workflow needs a defined result for each store, including copies that cannot be erased immediately. OWASP Multi Tenant Security frames tenant ownership across shared resources.

Deletion inventory

Start with the tenant data boundary map. Add a deletion action and retention rule for every path.

Do not promise immediate deletion from a backup if the system cannot do it. State the retention period and access limits. Do not treat a tombstone in one database as proof that downstream copies are gone.

Run a synthetic deletion

Create a small Tenant A with marker data across all enabled features. Create Tenant B as a control. Trigger the approved deletion path in staging. Verify A's data is gone or held under the documented retention rule, while B remains intact. Test a delayed job and a saved signed link after deletion. Record the build, deletion request ID, store checks, and any unresolved item. Keep the test data non-sensitive.

If a store cannot be enumerated, put it on hold and assign an owner. If a legal or product retention rule requires keeping data, document the access restriction rather than calling it deleted. OWASP ASVS provides a verification framework, but the concrete retention choice is local policy. The artifact is the store-by-store deletion inventory. It is useful for engineering and privacy review, not a claim that a customer tenant has been erased.