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IAM Introduction: Users, Groups, Policies

Here I was given brief introduction to IAM, including the concept of users, groups, and policies.

Key Takeaways​

  • IAM Overview: Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a global service for managing users and their permission in AWS.
  • Root Account Usage: The root account is created by default for setup only; it should not be used for everyday operations.
  • User Accounts: Individual user accounts should be created for each person in the organization instead of using the root account.
  • User Grouping: Users can be grouped by roles (e.g., developers, operations, auditors) and a user can belong to multiple groups.
  • Permission Management: Permissions are assigned to users and groups through IAM policies, defined in JSON format.
  • Security and Cost Management: IAM policies are essential for maintaining security and controlling costs by preventing unrestricted access to services.
  • Principle of Least Privilege: Users should receive only the permissions necessary for their tasks to enhance security.