AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) Basics

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 enables you to manage permissions for AWS services and resources, allowing you to grant or deny access to specific resources based on your organization's security requirements.

• Users: Individual identities with permissions to access AWS resources.
• Groups: Collections of users that can share permissions.
• Roles: Temporary access permissions for AWS services or users from another account.
• Policies: Documents that define permissions granted to users, groups, or roles.

Creating a New User

flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B[Sign in to the AWS Management Console]
    B --> C[Open IAM Console]
    C --> D[Click on Users]
    D --> E[Add User]
    E --> F[Set User Details]
    F --> G[Set Permissions]
    G --> H[Review and Create User]
    H --> I[End]
                

Follow these steps to create a new user in IAM:

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
2. Navigate to the IAM console.
3. Click on "Users" in the navigation pane.
4. Click on "Add User".
5. Enter a username and select the type of access for the user.
6. Set permissions by either attaching existing policies directly or adding the user to a group.
7. Review your settings and click "Create User".

• Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) for sensitive accounts.
• Regularly review and rotate your IAM credentials.
• Use IAM roles for applications running on AWS resources.
• Monitor IAM activity with AWS CloudTrail.