{"id":508,"date":"2022-08-22T07:30:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T07:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/?p=508"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:15:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T07:45:58","slug":"aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/","title":{"rendered":"AWS Security Fundamentals: A Practical Guide To AWS IAM"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-508-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/AWS-Security-Fundamentals-A-Practical-Guide-To-AWS-IAM.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/AWS-Security-Fundamentals-A-Practical-Guide-To-AWS-IAM.mp3\">https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/AWS-Security-Fundamentals-A-Practical-Guide-To-AWS-IAM.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><b>Why IAM?<\/b><\/strong><br \/>\nIAM in AWS stands for\u00a0<strong><b>Identity &amp; Access Management<\/b><\/strong>. As it suggests, it is a Service by AWS to manage Identity and Access to Resources and Services. Now that we have understood the basic context of IAM let us talk about the Core Elements of IAM.<i><\/i><br \/>\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/aws-iam.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"390\" \/><\/p>\n<p>AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management) controls who can access AWS resources and what they can do. Use IAM to create identities (users\/roles), attach policies, enforce MFA, and apply least-privilege access. In 2026, secure IAM means avoiding over-permissive policies, using temporary credentials, and continuously validating permissions with AWS tools.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#IAM_Elements\" >IAM Elements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#Types_of_Policies_in_AWS\" >Types of Policies in AWS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#Sample_AWS_Customer_Managed_Policy\" >Sample AWS Customer Managed Policy:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#IAM_best_practices_for_2026_least_privilege_at_scale\" >IAM best practices for 2026 (least privilege, at scale)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#Accessing_AWS\" >Accessing AWS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/#FAQs\" >FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 data-start=\"2003\" data-end=\"2135\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span><strong data-start=\"2118\" data-end=\"2135\">Key Takeaways<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"2138\" data-end=\"2233\">IAM is global and supports very granular permissions.<\/li>\n<li>Enforce least privilege and review policies regularly.<\/li>\n<li>Add guardrails like permission boundaries to prevent accidental over-access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IAM_Elements\"><\/span><strong><b>IAM Elements<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>User\u00a0&#8211; <\/b><\/strong>The fundamental identity in AWS is a User. You will need a user to do anything on AWS<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Group\u00a0&#8211; <\/b><\/strong>You guessed it right, a group is a collection of one or more users.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Role\u00a0&#8211; <\/b><\/strong>Role is very similar to User but used by Resources on AWS to perform certain actions.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Policy\u00a0&#8211; <\/b><\/strong>Policy is the document that specifically tells who can perform which action on what entities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><i>One key thing to understand here is that a policy says what a User\/Group\/Role is allowed to do, so a policy should be attached to the User\/Group\/Role to make them useful. Without a Policy, a User\/Group\/Role is useless.<\/i><\/em><br \/>\nSo, we start with Policy. Before diving into different types of Policies, let us understand the basic structure of an AWS Policy.<br \/>\nAn AWS Policy just defines this.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>WHO<\/li>\n<li>WHAT<\/li>\n<li>WHERE<\/li>\n<li>UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CONDITIONS.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"690\" height=\"297\" \/><br \/>\nLet\u2019s understand Policy with this simple example<br \/>\n<em><i>John\u2019s mom allows John to play GTA V on XBOX only if he completes his homework in time.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>John is the <strong><b>User<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>John\u2019s Mom is <strong><b>AWS<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>XBOX is the <strong><b>Resource<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>GTA V is <strong><b>Action on<\/b><\/strong><strong><b>Resource<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>\u201cCompletes his Homework in time\u201d is the <strong><b>Condition<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>\u201cMom allows John\u201d is <strong><b>Effect<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_Policies_in_AWS\"><\/span><strong>Types of Policies in AWS<\/strong><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Types-of-Policies-in-AWS.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"742\" height=\"432\" \/><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before we see an actual AWS Policy, let me define how these policies differ.<br \/>\n<strong><b>Identity-Based Policy:<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0As the name suggests, these policies are attached to Identities (User, Group, and Role). This is sub-classified into Managed and Inline Policies.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Managed Policies<\/b><\/strong>&#8211; Managed Policies are simple JSON documents which defines what can be and cannot be done to Resources by that Identity. These Policies can be used as many times as required. AWS Managed Policies are predefined by AWS and Customer Managed Policies should be defined by us.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Managed-Policies.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"387\" \/><br \/>\n<em><i>AWS Managed Policy (Yellow Cube ones) and Customer Managed Policy (without yellow cube)<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Inline Policies &#8211; <\/b><\/strong>Inline policies are not predefined by anyone. These policies are directly attached to an Identity and cannot be reused. Inline Policy strictly applies to the Identity it is attached to only.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><b>Resource Based Policies &#8211; <\/b><\/strong>Resource Based Policies are also Inline Policies because they are directly attached to Resources and cannot be reused in any other place. Resource Based Policies are strictly one-to-one.<br \/>\nLet us see some examples of different types of Policies and understand what each section does in the policy.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sample_AWS_Customer_Managed_Policy\"><\/span><strong>Sample AWS Customer Managed Policy:<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Sample-AWS-Customer-Managed-Policy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"688\" height=\"335\" \/><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This Policy is written or generated by us and named <strong><b>Read_Only_S3<\/b><\/strong>. \u00a0As already mentioned, managed policies can be attached to many Identities. So, I can attach this Policy to a User\/Group\/Role if this policy is attached to a User.<br \/>\n<strong><em><b><i>That User can Read Objects from my-example-bucket001 if his Source IP is from 10.0.0.0\/24 Subnet.<\/i><\/b><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>AWS Managed Policy<\/b><\/strong>Inline Policy, and Resource-Based Policy (for example, S3 Bucket Policy) will look similar as the Policy structure remains the same.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>AWS Managed Policy<\/b><\/strong>is already created by AWS and is readily available to be attached to an Identity.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Customer Managed Policy<\/b><\/strong>should be created by us for a specific use and should be attached to the appropriate Identities.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Resource Based Policy<\/b><\/strong>is written whenever needed and attached only to that Resource. For example, an S3 bucket makes sure access to the bucket is controlled.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><strong><b>Inline Policy<\/b><\/strong>is also written in Real-time as needed and attached only to that specific identity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If all this explanation is put in an image, it looks somewhat like this.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/User-can-Read-Objects.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"622\" height=\"571\" \/><br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"409\" data-end=\"467\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IAM_best_practices_for_2026_least_privilege_at_scale\"><\/span><strong>IAM best practices for 2026 (least privilege, at scale)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"469\" data-end=\"604\">To keep AWS access secure as teams and accounts grow, treat IAM like a system\u2014tight defaults, strong guardrails, and continuous review.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"633\"><strong data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"633\">Checklist (2026-ready):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"634\" data-end=\"926\">\n<li data-start=\"634\" data-end=\"712\">\n<p data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"712\"><strong data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"651\">Turn on MFA<\/strong> for all privileged access (admins, billing, security roles).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"713\" data-end=\"792\">\n<p data-start=\"715\" data-end=\"792\"><strong data-start=\"715\" data-end=\"747\">Prefer temporary credentials<\/strong> (roles) and minimize long-lived access keys.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"793\" data-end=\"926\">\n<p data-start=\"795\" data-end=\"926\"><strong data-start=\"795\" data-end=\"829\">Iterate toward least privilege<\/strong> by reviewing permissions regularly and tightening policies over time using AWS validation tools.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Accessing_AWS\"><\/span><strong><b>Accessing AWS<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A user can access AWS in two ways<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Management Console &#8211; web-based access using provided credentials.<\/li>\n<li>AWS CLI &#8211; command-line based access using Access keys.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Access keys are different from Web Credentials. The User can create access keys under the Security Credentials section in IAM. A unique Access Key and Secret Key will be created, which can be used to access AWS resources. The Access Key created for a user will have the same permissions.<br \/>\nRoles can be attached to the Resources when a Resource in AWS needs to access other resources\/services without user intervention. For example, an EC2 with an S3ReadAccess Role can access S3 and read its contents without any User Intervention.<br \/>\nKey Things to remember about IAM in AWS:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>IAM is global. It is not region specific.<\/li>\n<li>IAM is free of cost.<\/li>\n<li>IAM Policies can be super granular.<\/li>\n<li>IAM supports MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)<\/li>\n<li>All IAM API calls via console\/CLI are logged and can be managed in Cloud Trial.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In distributed teams (India\/global), keep access consistent by standardizing roles and reviewing permissions across accounts and environments.\u201d<br data-start=\"3438\" data-end=\"3441\" \/>(Works with modern least-privilege-at-scale framing.)<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Takeaways: <\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As always said, this whole theory is only to open a doorway for you to go and experiment with AWS Cloud. You will start seeing things unfold once you start writing policies and experimenting with them. Of course, if you don\u2019t want to get your hands dirty by writing JSON documents, you can always use this free Policy Generator tool from AWS &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/awspolicygen.s3.amazonaws.com\/policygen.html\"><u>https:\/\/awspolicygen.s3.amazonaws.com\/policygen.html<\/u><\/a>. We have to input a few parameters like the User to which this Policy is being attached, what actions he\u2019s allowed to perform, and on which resources.<br \/>\nTestleaf&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/course\/aws-cloud-architect-certification-training-course.html\"><u>AWS certification training online in Chennai<\/u><\/a>\u00a0has had a lot of success, with a high success rate. This is great news for anyone looking to get into this field.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"3536\" data-end=\"3584\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span><strong>FAQs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\t<div class=\"tlfaq\" id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34\"\n\t     data-single-open=\"1\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__items\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"FAQ\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\" open id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">Is AWS IAM global or regional?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a global service. It is not tied to a specific region, although it controls access to resources that exist in different AWS regions.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\"  id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">What is the principle of least privilege in IAM?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe principle of least privilege means granting only the permissions necessary to perform a specific task and nothing more. Permissions can then be refined over time using access insights and usage data.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\"  id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">What are permission boundaries in AWS IAM?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPermission boundaries are managed policies that define the maximum permissions an IAM identity can receive. They act as a safety limit to prevent excessive privilege escalation.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\"  id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">When should I use an IAM role vs an IAM user?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIAM roles are used for services, applications, or temporary access, while IAM users represent long-term identities typically assigned to individuals. Best practice is to minimize long-lived credentials and prefer roles whenever possible.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\"  id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">What\u2019s the difference between managed and inline policies?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tManaged policies are reusable policies that can be attached to multiple users, groups, or roles. Inline policies are embedded directly into a single identity and cannot be reused elsewhere.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"tlfaq__item\"  id=\"tlfaq-5eb373c3-ddaa-41ba-ae5d-ca131e683d34-5\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"tlfaq__question\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__qtext\">How do I audit IAM activity?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tlfaq__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tlfaq__answer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIAM activity can be audited using AWS CloudTrail, which logs API calls and provides a history of actions performed across your AWS account.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is AWS IAM global or regional?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a global service. It is not tied to a specific region, although it controls access to resources that exist in different AWS regions.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the principle of least privilege in IAM?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The principle of least privilege means granting only the permissions necessary to perform a specific task and nothing more. Permissions can then be refined over time using access insights and usage data.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are permission boundaries in AWS IAM?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Permission boundaries are managed policies that define the maximum permissions an IAM identity can receive. They act as a safety limit to prevent excessive privilege escalation.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When should I use an IAM role vs an IAM user?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"IAM roles are used for services, applications, or temporary access, while IAM users represent long-term identities typically assigned to individuals. Best practice is to minimize long-lived credentials and prefer roles whenever possible.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What\u2019s the difference between managed and inline policies?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Managed policies are reusable policies that can be attached to multiple users, groups, or roles. Inline policies are embedded directly into a single identity and cannot be reused elsewhere.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do I audit IAM activity?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"IAM activity can be audited using AWS CloudTrail, which logs API calls and provides a history of actions performed across your AWS account.\"}}]}\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-24a66e6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"24a66e6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-01d3c63\" data-id=\"01d3c63\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adb33d7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"adb33d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n<h6 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Author\u2019s Bio:<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-dcde5ac elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dcde5ac\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4320106\" data-id=\"4320106\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a109ac0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a109ac0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2404\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-design.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-design.png 250w, https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-design-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-design-96x96.png 96w\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bff9339\" data-id=\"bff9339\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa38e39 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fa38e39\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n<p>As CEO of TestLeaf, I\u2019m dedicated to transforming software testing by empowering individuals with real-world skills and advanced technology. With 24+ years in software engineering, I lead our mission to shape local talent into global software professionals. Join us in redefining the future of test engineering and making a lasting impact in the tech world.<\/p>\n<p>Babu Manickam<\/p>\n<p>CEO \u2013 Testleaf<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/in.linkedin.com\/in\/babu-manickam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/linkedin.png\" alt=\"LinkedIn Logo\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h6><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Why IAM? IAM in AWS stands for\u00a0Identity &amp; Access Management. As it suggests, it is a Service by AWS to manage Identity and Access to Resources and Services. Now that we have understood the basic context of IAM let us talk about the Core Elements of IAM. AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management) controls &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/aws-security-fundamentals-a-practical-guide-to-aws-iam\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">AWS Security Fundamentals: A Practical Guide To AWS IAM<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"plain-container","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[45,39,44],"class_list":["post-508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aws","tag-aws","tag-aws-cloud-practitioner","tag-aws-essentials"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9468,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions\/9468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testleaf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}