Enhancing Cloud Security with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

In today’s cloud computing era, security remains a top priority for businesses of all sizes. AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) plays a critical role in ensuring that organizations can manage and control access to their AWS resources securely. IAM provides a robust framework for managing users and their permissions within the AWS ecosystem.

This article will explore the key features of IAM and provide a step-by-step guide to creating an IAM user, assigning roles, and managing permissions within AWS.

Understanding AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a critical service within the Amazon Web Services (AWS) ecosystem that helps organizations manage access to their cloud resources in a secure and controlled manner. IAM is designed to authenticate users, authorize permissions, and define who can access specific AWS services and resources. By using IAM, businesses ensure that only authorized individuals or systems have the right level of access to their infrastructure, minimizing the risks of unauthorized access or data breaches.

With IAM, organizations can define fine-grained permissions to control exactly who can perform what actions on which resources. These permissions can be tailored based on user roles, ensuring that each individual or entity has access to the services they need without being granted excessive privileges.

Key Features of AWS IAM

IAM enables users to create and manage multiple user accounts, assign specific roles, and apply detailed permission policies. Whether managing a single AWS account or multiple accounts, IAM ensures that access control remains robust and scalable.

User Authentication: IAM ensures that only authenticated users can access AWS services by requiring proper credentials, such as passwords or access keys. Authentication can be integrated with multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an additional layer of security.
User Authorization: Once a user is authenticated, IAM ensures that only the permitted actions are allowed based on the assigned policies. This guarantees that users or systems only perform actions that are explicitly authorized.
Roles and Permissions: IAM uses a role-based access control system, which allows users to assume predefined roles with specific permissions. This makes it easier to manage access control for large organizations and reduces the need to assign permissions manually to each individual user.
Policies and Permissions Boundaries: Policies in IAM are used to define permissions for specific users or roles. These policies can be very granular, ensuring that each user has only the permissions they need. Permission boundaries can also be set to prevent a user or role from escalating their access privileges beyond a specified level.
Secure Resource Access: By using IAM, users can control which AWS resources can be accessed by various identities, including users, groups, and roles. The principle of least privilege ensures that entities only have the permissions necessary for their tasks, minimizing potential attack surfaces.
Integration with Other AWS Services: IAM works seamlessly with various AWS services, providing the foundation for secure operations across different environments, whether on-demand resources, virtual private cloud (VPC) configurations, or serverless functions.
Granular Access Control: IAM enables very detailed control over who can access each specific resource and what actions they can perform on it. Whether a user needs to access a storage bucket in Amazon S3 or manage databases on Amazon RDS, IAM can enforce access control at the most granular level.

Benefits of Using AWS IAM

By leveraging IAM, organizations can enjoy a wide range of security and operational benefits, including:

Enhanced Security: IAM provides robust security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users and systems have access to critical resources. With features like MFA, detailed permission policies, and user roles, IAM helps safeguard against unauthorized access.
Compliance Support: IAM plays a crucial role in meeting compliance requirements by ensuring that access to sensitive data is restricted to authorized users only. This feature is particularly valuable for organizations in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, or government.
Centralized Access Management: IAM allows administrators to manage access to all AWS services from a single interface, simplifying the process of controlling access across the organization. This centralization reduces complexity and helps maintain consistency in security policies.
Scalability: IAM can scale to accommodate organizations of all sizes. Whether a company has a handful of users or thousands, IAM can efficiently manage access control, adjusting as the organization grows.
Cost-Efficiency: As a part of AWS’s suite of services, IAM is offered at no additional charge, making it a cost-effective solution for managing security and permissions. The only cost associated with IAM is the usage of the AWS resources that IAM controls.
Improved Operational Efficiency: By automating permission assignment and user management, IAM reduces the time and effort required to maintain secure access controls. Administrators can focus on other strategic tasks while IAM manages the fine-grained permissions across services.

IAM Users, Groups, and Roles

Understanding the core components of IAM is essential for effective management:

IAM Users: An IAM user represents an individual identity within an AWS account. Users can be assigned specific permissions, enabling them to perform actions on AWS resources. For instance, an IAM user can be configured to only have read access to Amazon S3 buckets, but no write access.
IAM Groups: Groups are collections of IAM users. By assigning users to groups, administrators can simplify permissions management. For example, a group might have permissions to manage EC2 instances, and any user added to this group automatically inherits those permissions.
IAM Roles: Roles are a set of permissions that can be assumed by entities such as IAM users, AWS services, or external identities. Roles are used to grant specific access for temporary tasks or particular operations. A key benefit of roles is that they can be assumed without the need for long-term credentials, improving security.
Policies: Policies in IAM are documents that define permissions. These policies are written in JSON format and can be attached to users, groups, or roles. They outline what actions are allowed or denied on specific AWS resources.

How to Secure AWS Resources Using IAM

IAM enables users to apply security best practices to ensure resources are protected at all levels. Some of the most important steps for securing AWS resources through IAM include:

Apply the Principle of Least Privilege: Assign only the permissions that are necessary for users to perform their tasks. This minimizes the risk of accidental or malicious misuse of privileges.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enable MFA for sensitive accounts to ensure that users cannot access critical resources without verifying their identity through an additional factor, such as a mobile device.
Regularly Review Permissions: As teams evolve and roles change, it is important to regularly review and adjust IAM policies and permissions to ensure they remain appropriate. Automated tools within AWS can help in auditing and compliance tracking.
Monitor User Activity: AWS CloudTrail and other logging services can track and record all actions taken by IAM users. This helps detect unauthorized access attempts and allows for ongoing monitoring of account activity.
Use Temporary Credentials: For situations where users need temporary access to resources, IAM roles can provide temporary credentials, limiting the exposure of long-term access keys.
Ensure Proper Resource Tagging: By tagging resources appropriately, IAM can be used in conjunction with resource policies to limit access to only the required resources based on user roles and responsibilities.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is an indispensable service for businesses looking to maintain secure and controlled access to their cloud resources. By providing tools to define user roles, authentication mechanisms, and detailed permissions, IAM helps ensure that only authorized users can access specific AWS services and perform critical actions. With IAM, organizations can achieve better security, compliance, and operational efficiency while simplifying the process of managing permissions across an ever-expanding cloud infrastructure.

Key Components of AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) consists of several essential components that work together to help secure and manage access to AWS resources effectively. These components enable organizations to implement a robust security framework, ensuring that only authorized users and services can access specific cloud resources. Below is a detailed overview of the core components of IAM:

Users in AWS IAM

An IAM user represents an individual or entity that interacts with AWS services. Through IAM, administrators can create and manage user accounts, assign unique credentials (such as usernames and passwords), and define specific permissions for each user using policies. These permissions determine which AWS resources and actions the user can access or perform.

The root user is the first account created when setting up an AWS account. This account has full administrative privileges across all AWS services and resources, providing unrestricted access to every AWS service. While the root user is essential for initial setup and configuration, AWS recommends that it should not be used for everyday tasks, as it has the highest level of access. Instead, to enhance security and reduce risks, administrators should create an IAM user with administrative privileges and use that user for regular activities.

Groups in AWS IAM

In AWS IAM, groups are collections of IAM users that share similar roles, responsibilities, or access requirements. Instead of assigning permissions individually to each user, IAM allows administrators to assign permissions to a group. This simplifies permission management, especially for large organizations, as it enables administrators to control access for multiple users at once.

A single IAM user can be a member of multiple groups. This flexibility helps in streamlining permission assignments, ensuring that users have appropriate access based on their roles across different projects or departments. For example, an administrator might belong to one group that grants access to EC2 services and another group that provides access to S3 resources.

Roles in AWS IAM

IAM roles are another core component of AWS IAM. Unlike IAM users, roles are not tied to a specific individual or entity. Instead, roles are designed to provide temporary access to AWS resources for users or services that need to perform specific actions. IAM roles are essential for granting access to AWS services or users outside your AWS account.

Roles are not associated with long-term credentials like passwords or access keys. Instead, they use temporary security credentials, which are valid for a limited time. This feature enhances security by ensuring that access is granted only when necessary and for a limited duration. IAM roles are commonly used for scenarios such as granting AWS services access to other resources or allowing users from other AWS accounts to perform certain actions.

For instance, an AWS Lambda function might need to assume an IAM role to access resources in Amazon S3 or Amazon DynamoDB. Similarly, an EC2 instance may assume a role that grants it access to AWS resources on behalf of a user, with permissions scoped to the required actions.

Policies in AWS IAM

IAM policies are the cornerstone of defining permissions within AWS. These policies are written in JSON format and dictate which actions are allowed or denied on AWS resources. AWS IAM offers two primary types of policies:

Identity-based Policies: These policies are attached to IAM users, groups, or roles. They specify the actions a user or role can perform on specific resources. For example, an identity-based policy might grant a user access to read data from an S3 bucket but deny access to delete or upload objects. Identity-based policies provide the flexibility to create fine-grained access control, ensuring that users have exactly the permissions they need and nothing more.
Resource-based Policies: These policies are directly attached to AWS resources such as S3 buckets, Lambda functions, or EC2 instances. Resource-based policies are used to specify which identities (users, groups, or roles) can perform specific actions on a resource. For example, a resource-based policy attached to an S3 bucket could specify which IAM users or roles are allowed to access the bucket and the types of operations (such as read or write) they can perform. This type of policy provides an additional layer of security by defining permissions at the resource level.

IAM Best Practices

To ensure the security and integrity of an AWS environment, it’s crucial to follow best practices for IAM configuration and usage. Some of these best practices include:

Adopt the Principle of Least Privilege: Always grant users, groups, and roles the minimal permissions they need to perform their tasks. This reduces the potential impact of accidental or malicious actions and enhances security.
Regularly Review and Rotate Credentials: Periodically review IAM policies and credentials to ensure they are still appropriate for the tasks at hand. Rotate access keys and passwords regularly to prevent unauthorized access.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enabling MFA provides an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide two forms of authentication—something they know (password) and something they have (a code from a device or app).
Use IAM Roles for AWS Services: Instead of embedding long-term credentials within applications or instances, use IAM roles to assign temporary security credentials. This ensures that access is tightly controlled and scoped to the necessary actions.
Audit and Monitor IAM Activity: Leverage AWS CloudTrail and other monitoring services to log and audit IAM activities. This helps detect any unauthorized access attempts and ensures compliance with security policies.
Set Up Permissions Boundaries: Use permissions boundaries to limit the maximum permissions that can be granted to a user or role. This ensures that even if a user is granted a broad set of permissions, their ability to escalate privileges is constrained.
Create Groups and Roles for Administrative Tasks: Avoid using the root account for day-to-day administrative tasks. Instead, create IAM roles or groups with administrative privileges and assign them to trusted users. This reduces the risk associated with using the root account.

The core components of AWS IAM—users, groups, roles, and policies—work together to form a robust security framework for managing access to AWS resources. By organizing users, assigning appropriate permissions, and defining roles for temporary access, IAM enables organizations to enforce security best practices and ensure that resources are accessible only by those who need them. Properly managing IAM components helps organizations safeguard their cloud infrastructure, meet compliance requirements, and operate efficiently in the cloud.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up AWS IAM for Secure Access Management

In this guide, we’ll walk through the process of creating an IAM user, assigning them to a group with no permissions, and then providing them temporary access to specific AWS resources by assigning a role. This approach ensures that access is granted only when necessary and that permissions are tightly controlled.

1. Logging Into the AWS Management Console

Before beginning, log in to the AWS Management Console using your IAM administrative credentials. These credentials are typically associated with a user account that has sufficient permissions to create new users, assign roles, and manage access policies. The administrative account is crucial for overseeing and configuring IAM settings within your AWS environment.

2. Creating an IAM User

Once you’ve logged into the AWS console, the next step is to create an IAM user. To do this, follow these steps:

Navigate to the IAM console and click on the Users section in the left-hand menu.
Click the Create User button at the top of the screen.
In the Create User page, you’ll need to provide a unique name for the user. For example, let’s name the user “Bob.”
Choose the type of access you want to provide. For this walkthrough, select AWS Management Console Access, which allows the user to sign into the AWS Console using a web browser.
Set a password for the user. You can either set a custom password or generate a random one. Additionally, enable the option for Bob to set a new password upon their first login, which helps maintain secure access control.

3. Assigning Permissions

In this step, you’ll assign the necessary permissions for the IAM user. For this scenario, we’ll start by creating a group with no permissions assigned. This ensures that the user, Bob, will have no access to AWS resources initially.

When prompted to assign permissions, you can either add Bob to an existing group or create a new group. Since we’re going for the scenario with no permissions, click on the Create Group option.
Name the group (for example, “NoAccessGroup”), and do not assign any permissions. This keeps Bob’s access restricted at this stage.

By using groups, you can later modify access policies for multiple users at once, simplifying access management.

4. Reviewing and Creating the IAM User

After assigning the user to the group, it’s time to review the details of the user configuration:

Check the user’s settings and confirm that everything looks correct.
Once satisfied, click Create User. A confirmation screen will appear, showing the user’s login credentials, including the username and a temporary password if set.
Important: Record these login details as Bob will need them to sign in to the AWS console. You can download a CSV file with this information or email it directly to Bob.

5. Signing In as the New User

Now that the user has been created, it’s time for Bob to log in to the AWS Management Console:

Bob will sign in using the credentials provided earlier. However, because we didn’t assign any permissions to Bob, he will encounter access denied errors when trying to access AWS services.
For example, when Bob tries to access EC2 or any other service, he will see an error message indicating that he doesn’t have the necessary permissions.
This is expected behavior, as we intentionally created a user with no permissions to showcase how permissions are managed in IAM.

6. Creating a Role with Specific Permissions

Now that we have a user with no permissions, let’s grant temporary access to specific AWS resources. In this case, we’ll provide Bob with full access to EC2 resources.

Navigate to the Roles section in the IAM console.
Click Create Role to start the process.
For the Trusted Entity, select AWS service and then choose EC2 as the service that will assume the role.
Under Permissions, choose the EC2 Full Access policy, which grants full administrative rights to manage EC2 instances, security groups, and related resources.
Click Next: Tags to proceed, although you can skip the tagging section if you don’t need any tags.
Give the role a name (e.g., “EC2FullAccessRole”) and review the configuration.
Click Create Role to finalize the process.

7. Assigning the Role to the User

Now that the role is created, Bob will need to assume it in order to access EC2 resources. Here’s how to assign the role:

Have Bob log into the AWS Management Console again.
In the top-right corner of the console, select Switch Role.
Bob will be prompted to enter the AWS account ID and the role name (in this case, “EC2FullAccessRole”).
After entering this information, Bob will be switched to the role with EC2 Full Access permissions.
Now Bob can perform actions like managing EC2 instances, modifying security groups, and working with other EC2 resources.

8. Testing the Permissions

With the role assumed, Bob should now be able to access the EC2 Dashboard and perform various actions related to EC2, as the EC2 Full Access policy was attached to the role. To test:

Navigate to the EC2 Console from the AWS Management Console.
Verify that Bob can create, modify, and delete EC2 instances as well as configure security groups and other EC2-related resources.
Bob should now have full access to EC2 resources, but only for the duration of the role assumption.

9. Switching Back to the Original Role

Once Bob has completed the necessary tasks, he may need to return to his original state, where he has no permissions. This can easily be done by selecting the Switch Back Role option in the console.

When Bob is finished performing tasks with the EC2FullAccessRole, he can go back to his original state by switching roles again. This effectively returns him to his NoAccessGroup, where he will no longer have access to EC2 or any other resources until a new role or permissions are assigned.

Setting up IAM users, groups, and roles in AWS is crucial for implementing secure access control to your AWS resources. This walkthrough demonstrates the process of creating a user with no permissions, assigning a role for temporary access, and managing permissions based on tasks. By following these steps, you can ensure that your AWS environment is secure and that users have the appropriate level of access based on their needs, reducing the risks associated with excessive or unnecessary permissions.

Best Practices for Effective IAM Permissions Management

To ensure the highest level of security within your AWS environment, it is vital to implement effective Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategies. Following IAM best practices helps maintain control over access to resources, minimize the risk of security breaches, and streamline user management. Below are some essential best practices that can significantly enhance your cloud security:

1. Use IAM Roles Instead of the Root User

One of the most critical best practices in IAM is to avoid using the root user for everyday activities. The root user is the most powerful account in AWS, providing full control over all resources, including billing, security settings, and user management. While it is essential for initial setup and certain administrative tasks, it is highly recommended to reserve its use for emergency situations only.

For routine tasks, you should create IAM users with specific permissions tailored to their job responsibilities. This segmentation of duties ensures that users have only the access they need and not more, reducing the risk of accidental or malicious misuse of AWS resources. Additionally, for temporary access to resources, always opt for IAM roles, which are designed to grant permissions for a limited time and provide an added layer of security.

By adhering to this best practice, you minimize the risk of compromising the root account and provide a more secure way to manage user access and permissions.

2. Grant Least Privilege Access

Least privilege is a fundamental security principle that dictates that users should only be granted the minimal permissions necessary to perform their assigned tasks. This practice greatly reduces the attack surface by limiting the actions that any user or service can perform within your AWS environment.

For instance, if a user only needs read access to S3 buckets, they should not be given permissions to delete objects or modify bucket configurations. Similarly, roles assigned to services should be specific to the services’ needs rather than granting broad, unrestricted access to the entire AWS environment.

Regularly reviewing and refining permissions ensures that users and services maintain only the necessary access, significantly mitigating the potential impact of a compromised account.

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Adding Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to your IAM users and the root account provides an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access. MFA requires users to provide two forms of identification before accessing AWS resources—something they know (like a password) and something they have (such as a temporary code from a smartphone app or hardware device).

This two-step verification process greatly enhances security, making it far more difficult for attackers to gain access even if they obtain a user’s password. It’s important to enable MFA for both IAM users and the root user to ensure that all accounts are protected from unauthorized access, especially in the event of a password compromise.

4. Regularly Review and Update Permissions

Over time, users’ job responsibilities and access requirements may change, and IAM permissions may become outdated. To ensure that your IAM policies are always aligned with current security needs, it is crucial to regularly review and update IAM user permissions.

Periodic reviews should focus on identifying users with unnecessary or excessive privileges, ensuring that permissions are still appropriate for their roles, and verifying that users no longer need access to resources they once did. A regular permission audit also helps identify any potential security gaps and ensures compliance with internal and external security regulations.

Automating permission reviews with tools like AWS IAM Access Analyzer can streamline this process and reduce the likelihood of errors.

5. Use IAM Policies and Roles for Fine-Grained Access Control

IAM policies and roles allow for fine-grained access control, enabling you to define exactly who can access which AWS resources and what actions they can perform on those resources.

IAM policies are used to grant or deny permissions to IAM users, groups, or roles. Policies can be written in JSON format and attached to specific IAM identities. This granular approach allows administrators to assign permissions based on specific conditions, such as time of day, IP address, or the type of request being made.
IAM roles allow for the delegation of permissions without assigning long-term credentials. Roles are typically used for services, applications, or temporary users needing access to certain resources. By using roles for temporary access, you can limit the duration of a user or service’s permissions, enhancing security.

For example, instead of giving a developer broad access to all EC2 instances, you could create a role that allows them to manage only a specific set of instances, providing them with just the permissions they need.

Clear and concise IAM policies are essential for maintaining control over access to resources. It is recommended to break down policies into reusable components that can be applied across multiple users or roles, improving manageability and consistency across your organization’s access controls.

6. Leverage IAM Groups for Simplified Management

While not explicitly mentioned earlier, IAM groups are another best practice worth highlighting. Groups allow you to simplify permissions management by grouping IAM users who share similar access needs.

Instead of assigning permissions to each user individually, you can create an IAM group (e.g., “Developers,” “Admins,” or “ReadOnly”) and assign the appropriate policies to the group. All users added to that group automatically inherit the permissions associated with the group.

This approach simplifies user management, especially in large organizations, and ensures that permissions are consistent across similar users.

7. Implement Permission Boundaries

In more complex environments, permission boundaries can provide an added layer of control over the maximum permissions that a user or role can have. A permission boundary is an advanced feature in IAM that defines the upper limits of permissions a user or role can be granted.

For example, even if a user has the ability to create or modify roles, you can set a permission boundary to prevent them from creating roles with overly permissive policies, ensuring that they cannot escalate their privileges beyond the defined limit.

This is particularly useful in environments with delegated administrative duties, where certain users need broad access but should still be constrained by organizational security guidelines.

8. Monitor and Audit IAM Activities

Monitoring and auditing IAM activities is an integral part of maintaining the security and integrity of your AWS environment. It’s essential to have continuous oversight of who is accessing your resources, what actions they are taking, and whether these activities align with your organizational policies. Regular monitoring can help you identify potential security issues before they escalate, detect unauthorized actions, and ensure compliance with both internal and external security requirements.

Leverage AWS CloudTrail for Comprehensive Logging

AWS CloudTrail is a powerful service that records API calls made within your AWS account, including those related to IAM activities. It provides detailed logs of every action taken by IAM users, roles, and services within your account, allowing you to track who did what and when.

For example, CloudTrail logs can show you when a user created or modified an IAM role, updated a policy, or even deleted a resource. These logs are critical for performing security audits and forensic investigations in case of suspicious activity.

By regularly reviewing CloudTrail logs, you can:

Track changes to IAM roles and policies, ensuring no unauthorized modifications have occurred.
Identify any abnormal or unauthorized behavior, such as attempts to elevate privileges or access sensitive resources.
Quickly respond to security incidents by reviewing logs and determining the scope of any unauthorized actions.

CloudTrail enables you to keep a history of all IAM-related actions, so you can maintain a comprehensive audit trail that helps you improve security practices and achieve compliance with industry standards.

Use AWS Config to Track IAM Changes

In addition to CloudTrail, AWS Config is another essential service that helps you monitor changes to your AWS environment. AWS Config records and tracks changes to the configuration of IAM resources, such as users, roles, and policies, enabling you to assess and enforce compliance with your organization’s security policies.

With AWS Config, you can:

Track when an IAM user, group, or role was created or modified.
View the history of changes made to IAM policies, such as when permissions were added or removed.
Ensure that IAM configurations adhere to your organization’s predefined security rules and compliance requirements.

AWS Config gives you a visual representation of changes over time, allowing you to spot trends or deviations from your security policies, and it can trigger alerts when configurations change in ways that may introduce security risks.

Effective IAM Permissions Management

While monitoring tools like CloudTrail and AWS Config are invaluable for auditing and tracking IAM activities, they are part of a broader strategy of effective IAM permissions management. Following best practices such as minimizing root user usage, applying the principle of least privilege, and enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) ensures that only the necessary users and services have access to critical resources.

By continuously reviewing permissions, regularly updating policies, and using IAM roles for temporary access, you can ensure that your IAM configuration remains secure and up-to-date.

Furthermore, IAM policies, roles, and groups are key to structuring access in a controlled and manageable way, offering fine-grained control over permissions. Combining these with advanced features such as permission boundaries and comprehensive activity monitoring allows you to stay ahead of security threats and enforce strict access controls.

By adhering to these IAM best practices, you create a more secure and compliant AWS environment. The combination of structured access management, the principle of least privilege, and the use of monitoring tools like CloudTrail and AWS Config provides you with multiple layers of protection against unauthorized access.

Active monitoring and auditing of IAM activities ensures that you’re continuously aware of who is accessing your AWS resources, how they are interacting with those resources, and whether they are doing so according to your security policies. This vigilance allows you to detect and respond to security incidents quickly, while also providing a transparent and accountable record of user actions for auditing purposes.

Incorporating IAM best practices in your AWS environment not only helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access but also safeguards sensitive data and supports the integrity of your cloud infrastructure. By implementing a robust IAM strategy that includes user and role management, policy enforcement, multi-factor authentication, and ongoing activity auditing, you ensure your AWS resources remain secure and your cloud environment stays resilient against potential threats.

Conclusion

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a fundamental tool for ensuring the security of your AWS resources. By creating users, groups, roles, and applying appropriate policies, you can effectively manage access control and minimize security risks in your cloud environment.

By implementing IAM best practices, organizations can strengthen their security posture, ensure compliance, and mitigate the risks of unauthorized access to critical cloud resources. Whether you’re an individual user or part of a larger organization, IAM empowers you to maintain control and safeguard your AWS infrastructure.