---
title: "Deleting Security Objects"
slug: "dsm-deleting-security-objects"
updated: 2025-07-22T13:15:07Z
published: 2025-07-22T13:15:07Z
canonical: "support.fortanix.com/dsm-deleting-security-objects"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.fortanix.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deleting Security Objects

## 1.0 Overview

Before deleting a security object, make sure that you have a backup of the security object or do not need the security object anymore. If a security object has the Export operation enabled, it can be backed up by [wrapping](/v1/docs/wrapping-security-objects) it and storing it outside of Fortanix-Data-Security-Manager (DSM).

> [!WARNING]
> WARNING
> 
> Deleting a Security-object cannot be undone.

## 2.0 Prerequisites

Deleting security objects (keys) requires a Fortanix DSM account, a group, and a user or application configured in that group. You must also have a security object to delete. *For more information, refer to the* [*User's Guide: Getting Started with Fortanix Data Security Manager - UI*](/v1/docs/users-guide-getting-started-with-fortanix-data-security-manager-ui)*.*

## 3.0 Authorization and Configuration

You must first authenticate and optionally configure a default API client as described in [*Configure API Client and Client Authentication*](/v1/docs/configure-api-client-and-client-authentication). You may authenticate as a user or as an application. The user or application must be a member of the group that the security object belongs to in order to delete it.

## 4.0 Create a SecurityObjectsApi Client Object

Deleting security objects is performed with a SecurityObjectsApi object.

```bash
import com.fortanix.sdkms.v1.SecurityObjectsApi;

SecurityObjectsApi sobjectsApi = new SecurityObjectsApi();
```

## 5.0 Make the Delete Call

Deleting is performed with the deleteSecurityObject() method of the SecurityObjectsApi object. The UUID of the key to be deleted is passed to the method.

```bash
sobjectsApi.deleteSecurityObject(<UUID of key to be deleted>);sobjectsApi.deleteSecurityObject();
```

Fortanix Data Security Manager (DSM) is the world’s first cloud service secured with Intel® SGX. With Fortanix DSM, you can securely generate, store, and use cryptographic keys and certificates, as well as other secrets such as passwords, API keys, tokens, or any blob of data. Your business-critical applications and containers can integrate with Fortanix DSM using legacy cryptographic interfaces (PKCS#11, CNG, and JCE) or using the native Fortanix DSM RESTful interface.

Fortanix Data Security Manager (DSM) is the world’s first cloud service secured with Intel® SGX. With Fortanix DSM, you can securely generate, store, and use cryptographic keys and certificates, as well as other secrets such as passwords, API keys, tokens, or any blob of data. Your business-critical applications and containers can integrate with Fortanix DSM using legacy cryptographic interfaces (PKCS#11, CNG, and JCE) or using the native Fortanix DSM RESTful interface.

A security object is any datum stored in DSM (for example a key, a certificate, a password, or other security objects). Each security object is assigned to exactly one group. users and applications assigned to the group have permission to see the security object and to perform operations on it.

## Related

- [Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) Provider](/fortanix-dsm-clients-java-cryptography-extension-jce-provider.md)
- [Fortanix DSM with IBM Informix](/fortanix-dsm-with-ibm-informix.md)