AWS IAM Users Overview

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 users are unique identities within your AWS account that can be granted permissions to perform actions on AWS resources.

2.1 IAM User

An IAM user is an entity that you create in AWS to represent the person or application that uses it to interact with AWS services. Each user has a unique identity and credentials.

2.2 Permissions

Permissions determine what actions an IAM user can perform. These are granted through policies attached to the user or groups that the user belongs to.

2.3 Groups

Groups are collections of IAM users. You can attach policies to groups so that all users in the group receive the same permissions.

2.4 Roles

Roles are similar to users but are meant to be assumed by anyone who needs them, such as AWS services or applications.

Follow these steps to create an IAM user:

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
2. Navigate to the IAM Dashboard.
3. Select "Users" from the side menu.
4. Click on "Add user".
5. Enter the user name and select the access type (programmatic access, AWS Management Console access).
6. Set permissions by attaching existing policies or adding the user to groups.
7. Review the user details and click "Create user".

aws iam create-user --user-name NewUser

To ensure the security of your AWS environment, follow these best practices:

• Use IAM groups to manage permissions for multiple users.
• Avoid using root account for everyday tasks.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all IAM users.
• Regularly review IAM user permissions and access keys.
• Implement the principle of least privilege.