Wipe and Retire Protection

Configure threshold-based protection for wipe and retire operations to help prevent unintended bulk actions. When the configured threshold is reached, the system either blocks additional actions or temporarily pauses them until the configured time window has elapsed.

Configuring wipe and retire protection

Wipe and retire protection helps prevent accidental user actions, configuration or policy changes, and malicious bulk operations from affecting large numbers of devices. When enabled, the system evaluates wipe or retire requests against a configurable device threshold and time window. Requests that exceed the threshold enter an approval-pending state and require action from an authorized administrator.

Configure protection separately for wipe and retire actions. The protection settings apply to actions initiated through the administration console, service portal, device cleanup, policies, configuration changes, and other supported workflows. Protection is disabled by default; when disabled, wipe and retire actions continue without an approval step.

How protection works

Wipe or retire actions triggered by configuration removal or policy violations are not considered bulk activities. Each action is treated as an individual device wipe or retire.

Within the threshold: Individual wipe or retire actions proceed normally without approval until the configured device threshold is reached within the time window.
Above the threshold: Subsequent individual actions enter an approval-pending state.
Batch actions: An administrator-initiated batch action is processed as a single unit. If the batch exceeds the threshold, the entire batch enters the approval flow; the system does not process devices up to the threshold and pause only the remaining devices.
Device capability: Not all devices support every remote action. A bulk action is unavailable if the selected devices include a device that does not support the requested action.
Sequential actions: Actions triggered individually by device check-ins, policies, configuration changes, device cleanup, or similar workflows are counted one at a time. Actions proceed until the threshold is reached, after which subsequent actions enter the approval flow.
Block further operations: After the threshold is reached, subsequent actions remain blocked and enter the approval flow until an administrator resets the counter.
Automatically resume operations: The counter resets after the configured time window, allowing actions within the threshold to proceed again.

Prerequisites

Identify the administrators who will approve wipe or retire requests. You can add up to five approvers.
Ensure that each approver has the required device-management and system permissions. Administrators without the required permissions are not available for selection.
Super administrators are approvers by default.

Configure wipe or retire protection

In the administration console, go to Admin > System > Wipe/Retire Protection and open the device action protection settings.
Select the settings for Wipe or Retire.
Enable protection for the selected action.
In Device Threshold, enter the maximum number of devices on which the action can be performed within the configured time window without approval.
In Time Window, enter the rolling duration in minutes. The minimum value is one minute.
Select the behavior to apply when the threshold is reached:
- Block further operations: Sends all subsequent wipe or retire actions to the approval flow until an administrator resets the counter. The configured time window is used to determine whether the threshold is reached, but it does not automatically unblock operations.
- Automatically resume operations: Resets the counter after the configured time window and allows new actions within the threshold to proceed.
Open the Approvers tab and add the administrators who can approve requests.
Save the settings.

View actions awaiting approval

When an action enters the approval flow, the device remains in its current registration state. In the Devices > Actions > Action Approval State column on the device listing page displays Retire Approval Pending or Wipe Approval Pending. In Advanced Search, use the Approval Status criterion with the is equal to or is not equal to operator to locate devices with pending requests.

Notifications and audit records

Approvers receive an in-product notification in the administration portal when a device action requires approval. The system records protection-setting changes, counter resets, and device actions that enter the approval flow in the audit trail.