Amazon IAM
Amazon Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a web service that helps you securely control access to AWS resources.
Description
Amazon IAM is a critical component of the AWS security infrastructure, allowing users to manage access to AWS services and resources securely. Through IAM, you can create and manage AWS users and groups, and set permissions to allow or deny their access to AWS resources. IAM supports the principle of least privilege, enabling organizations to provide users with only the permissions necessary for their job functions. This service also supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance security. IAM integrates with many AWS services, making it essential for managing access across an organization's entire AWS environment. With IAM, organizations can also create roles that grant temporary access to users, applications, or services. This feature is particularly beneficial for managing permissions for AWS resources in a secure manner, especially in dynamic environments where resources and users frequently change.
Examples
- A company uses IAM to create user accounts for its employees, granting them access only to the specific AWS resources they need for their roles.
- An organization implements IAM policies to restrict access to sensitive data stored in Amazon S3, allowing only certain users to upload or download files.
Additional Information
- IAM allows for the creation of roles that can be assumed by AWS services, enabling them to perform actions on behalf of the user without sharing long-term credentials.
- IAM integrates with AWS CloudTrail to provide logging of all IAM actions, which is essential for security audits and compliance monitoring.