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How do I Turn Off Encryption on Azure VM?

Published in Azure VM Encryption 4 mins read

To turn off encryption on an Azure Virtual Machine (VM), you can utilize either Azure PowerShell or the Azure Command Line Interface (CLI). The process involves specific commands designed to disable Azure Disk Encryption (ADE) on your VM's disks.

Methods to Disable Azure VM Encryption

Disabling encryption on an Azure VM is a straightforward process using the appropriate commands for your preferred management tool.

Using Azure PowerShell

To disable encryption on an Azure VM using PowerShell, you will use the Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption cmdlet. This cmdlet allows you to remove encryption from the OS and/or data disks of your VM.

  1. Prerequisites: Ensure you have the Azure PowerShell module installed and are logged into your Azure account.

  2. Identify VM: Know the resource group name and the VM name for which you want to disable encryption.

  3. Execute Command: Run the Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption cmdlet, specifying the resource group, VM name, and the volume type (OS, Data, or All) to decrypt.

    # Example: Disable encryption for all volumes (OS and Data disks)
Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption -ResourceGroupName "YourResourceGroupName" -VMName "YourVMName" -VolumeType All

# Example: Disable encryption for only the OS disk
# Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption -ResourceGroupName "YourResourceGroupName" -VMName "YourVMName" -VolumeType OS

# Example: Disable encryption for only Data disks
# Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption -ResourceGroupName "YourResourceGroupName" -VMName "YourVMName" -VolumeType Data

    Replace "YourResourceGroupName" and "YourVMName" with your actual resource group and VM names.

Using Azure CLI

For those who prefer using the Azure CLI, you can disable encryption by using the az vm encryption disable command.

  1. Prerequisites: Ensure you have Azure CLI installed and are logged into your Azure account.

  2. Identify VM: Know the resource group name and the VM name for which you want to disable encryption.

  3. Execute Command: Run the az vm encryption disable command, specifying the resource group, VM name, and the disk volumes to decrypt.

    # Example: Disable encryption for all volumes (OS and Data disks)
az vm encryption disable --resource-group "YourResourceGroupName" --name "YourVMName" --volume-type ALL

# Example: Disable encryption for only the OS disk
# az vm encryption disable --resource-group "YourResourceGroupName" --name "YourVMName" --volume-type OS

# Example: Disable encryption for only Data disks
# az vm encryption disable --resource-group "YourResourceGroupName" --name "YourVMName" --volume-type DATA

    Replace "YourResourceGroupName" and "YourVMName" with your actual resource group and VM names.

Quick Reference: Commands for Disabling Encryption

Tool Command for Disabling Encryption Description
Azure PowerShell Disable-AzVMDiskEncryption This cmdlet is used to disable Azure Disk Encryption (ADE) on the specified Azure virtual machine's disks. You must provide the -ResourceGroupName, -VMName, and -VolumeType (e.g., OS, Data, All).
Azure CLI az vm encryption disable This command allows you to disable encryption for a VM's disks. Key parameters include --resource-group (or -g), --name (or -n), and --volume-type (OS, DATA, ALL). It's a direct way to manage disk encryption from the command line.

Important Considerations Before Disabling Encryption

Before proceeding to disable encryption on your Azure VM, it's crucial to consider the following:

  • Security Implications: Disabling encryption means your VM's data will no longer be protected by Azure Disk Encryption, potentially increasing security risks if the underlying storage is compromised. Ensure you understand the security posture impact.
  • Backup: Always ensure you have a recent and valid backup of your VM before making significant configuration changes, including disabling disk encryption.
  • VM State: The VM might need to be in a specific state (e.g., running, stopped, or deallocated) for the command to execute successfully. Azure typically handles this, but monitoring the operation is important.
  • Monitoring: After initiating the decryption process, monitor the VM's status and the operation's progress in the Azure portal or via command-line tools to ensure it completes successfully.

Verifying Encryption Status

After attempting to disable encryption, you can verify the current encryption status of your VM's disks using commands like Get-AzVMDiskEncryptionStatus in PowerShell or az vm encryption show in Azure CLI. This ensures that the operation was successful and your disks are no longer encrypted.

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