AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
The AWS IAM or the AWS Identity and Access Management is a service provided by AWS that enables users to secure their data and resources on the AWS platform.
Moreover, it enables you to create and define your users who may be required to access your AWS resources.
Through the AWS Identity and Access Management Service, a system administrator has the superior privilege to control who can access the AWS console or AWS resources.
A powerful aspect of the AWS IAM is that it enables you to control and define the activities or actions that users can perform.
You can grant or deny permissions to individual users, groups or even roles through the AWS IAM.
The system administrator or the root user has the power to audit what other user’s activities on the AWS platform. For instance, you can keep a track of who logs into the AWS and what they do.
Features & Benefits
Free to Use
The AWS Identity and Access Management comes with no additional cost or charges.
If you are an AWS account holder, then the AWS IAM is absolutely free for you to use.
AWS Access Control
As an AWS system administrator, it is possible for you to monitor and control the access to the AWS services and resources by other users under your account.
In addition to that, you can create users, groups, roles. And set their permissions accordingly to allow or deny their access to AWS resources.
Identity Federation
AWS Identity and Acess Management also integrates with the identity federation. As a result, this integration enables you and your users to access multiple AWS resources and services with single sign on.
Therefore, this feature is crucial and quiet efficient. Especially, when it comes to managing multiple AWS services without creating multiple accounts or identities.
Multi-Factor Authentication
AWS provides a Multi-Factor Authentication method to add an extra layer of protection for the IAM users under your account.
Despite the traditional way of logging in with a username and a password, AWS will also generate a temporary passcode. Then sends the passcode to the IAM users.
The IAM users have to enter passcode to access the AWS resources and services.
The MFA is a powerful way of securing your resources and data on the AWS. As a AWS system administrator you can easily set up MFA for any individual IAM users.
Conclusion
AWS Identity and Access Management service is one of the most powerful components of AWS. It integrates essential security measures that is vital for protecting your data and resources on the AWS.
You should also check AWS IAM – Five Best Practices For Security to see how you can utilize this powerful tool that AWS offers, in terms of security. As you know security is a crucial part of any AWS infrastructure.
With that being said, don’t forget to comment below if you have any thoughts, questions or concerns.