1.1.17 Ensure protected branch deletions are denied

Ensure that users with only push access are incapable of deleting a protected branch.

When enabling deletion of a protected branch, any user with at least push access to the repository can delete a branch. This can be potentially dangerous, as a simple human mistake or a hacked account can lead to data loss if a branch is deleted. It is therefore crucial to prevent such incidents by denying protected branch deletion.

For each repository that is being used, verify that protected branches cannot be deleted.

For each repository that is being used, block the option to delete protected branches via branch protection rules.

For Azure Devops repositories, enable branch policies to ensure branch cannot be deleted.