Temporary Security Credentials
Short-lived access keys that grant permissions to AWS resources.
Description
Temporary Security Credentials are a set of security credentials that are valid for a limited duration, typically ranging from a few minutes to several hours. In the context of AWS (Amazon Web Services), these credentials are primarily used to grant users or applications access to AWS resources without the need to share long-term access keys. They are issued by AWS Security Token Service (STS) and can be used to authenticate and authorize API requests. This approach enhances security by reducing the risk of key compromise, as the credentials expire automatically after their validity period. Temporary Security Credentials are especially useful in scenarios such as federated user access, where users authenticate via external identity providers, or for applications running on Amazon EC2 instances that need to interact with other AWS services. By using these credentials, developers can implement fine-grained access control and temporary permissions, reducing the attack surface while maintaining operational flexibility.
Examples
- An application hosted on EC2 retrieves temporary credentials to access an S3 bucket for storing files.
- A user logs in through a corporate identity provider and receives temporary credentials to access specific AWS resources via the AWS Management Console.
Additional Information
- Temporary Security Credentials can be generated using IAM roles, which define permissions and can be assumed by trusted entities.
- The expiration time for these credentials can be configured, allowing for greater control over access duration.