Which statement correctly distinguishes hard delete from soft delete in account management?

• A. The account is permanently removed immediately.
• B. Hard delete permanently removes; soft delete retains for recovery window.
• C. Hard delete keeps data for audit; soft delete deletes immediately.
• D. Hard delete only applies to files, not accounts.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how deletion is handled: permanently removing data versus marking it as deleted while keeping it so it can be recovered. The best statement says that a hard delete permanently removes the account data, while a soft delete keeps the data in the system (often with a deleted flag) so it can be restored within a defined recovery window. This captures the typical difference: hard delete is irreversible from the user perspective, whereas soft delete provides an undo path and preserves records for audits or recovery. The other descriptions mix up the behaviors—hard delete preserving data for audits or soft delete removing immediately don’t align with how these approaches are usually implemented. Plus, hard delete isn’t limited to files; accounts can be hard deleted as well.