Introduction to IAM

AWS Security

What is IAM?

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a web service that helps you securely control access to AWS services and resources for your users. IAM allows you to create and manage AWS users and groups, and use permissions to allow and deny their access to AWS resources.

Key Concepts

**Identity**: Represents a user or service, which can be a human or an application.
**Authentication**: Verifying the identity of a user or service.
**Authorization**: Granting permissions to users or services to perform specific actions.
**Policies**: Documents that define permissions and specify what actions are allowed or denied.

IAM Users and Roles

IAM Users

An IAM user is an identity created for a person or application that needs to interact with AWS resources. Each user has a unique set of security credentials.

IAM Roles

An IAM role is an AWS identity with specific permissions. Unlike users, roles can be assumed by anyone who needs them, including AWS services.

Note: Always prefer roles over static IAM user credentials for AWS services.

IAM Policies

Policies are JSON documents that define permissions. You can attach policies to users, groups, or roles.

Example Policy

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": "s3:ListBucket",
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket"
        }
    ]
}

Best Practices

Use the principle of least privilege.
Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) for sensitive accounts.
Regularly rotate IAM credentials.
Use roles instead of users for applications requiring AWS access.

FAQ

What is the difference between IAM users and roles?

Users are specific identities with long-term credentials, while roles are temporary identities that can be assumed by users or services.

Can I create policies that restrict access to specific resources?

Yes, IAM policies can specify conditions that restrict access to certain resources based on various factors.

How do I monitor IAM activity in my AWS account?

You can use AWS CloudTrail to monitor and log IAM actions within your account.