IAM User in AWS
An IAM (Identity and Access Management) user is an entity that you create in AWS to represent a person or a service that interacts with AWS resources. Each IAM user has unique credentials and can be assigned specific permissions to perform actions on AWS resources. IAM users are essential for controlling and securing access to your AWS account, especially in multi-user environments.
Creating an IAM User in AWS
Here’s how you can create an IAM user in the AWS Management Console:
1. Sign In to the AWS Management Console
- Go to the AWS Management Console: Open your web browser and go to the AWS Management Console.
- Sign In: If you already have an AWS account, sign in using your root account or IAM credentials. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to sign up for AWS first.
2. Navigate to IAM
- Access IAM: Once you are logged in, navigate to the IAM service. You can do this by typing “IAM” into the search bar at the top of the AWS Management Console and selecting “IAM” from the dropdown list.
3. Create a New IAM User
- Users: In the IAM Dashboard, click on “Users” in the left-hand navigation pane.
- Add User: Click the “Add users” button at the top of the Users page.
- User Details:
- User Name: Enter a unique name for the IAM user. This name will be used to identify the user within your AWS account.
- Access Type: You can choose how this user will access AWS:
- Programmatic access: Select this option if the user needs access to AWS via the AWS CLI, SDKs, or APIs. This will generate an access key ID and secret access key.
- AWS Management Console access: Select this option if the user needs access to the AWS Management Console. You’ll need to set a password for console access.
- Console Password: If you selected “AWS Management Console access,” choose whether the user should create their own password or if you want to create a password for them. You can also require the user to reset their password on first login.
- Permissions:
- Attach existing policies directly: You can assign existing AWS managed policies or custom policies to the user, defining what actions they can perform.
- Add user to group: You can add the user to an existing IAM group to inherit the group’s permissions.
- Copy permissions from existing user: You can copy permissions from another IAM user.
- Attach policies later: You can choose to attach policies later if you’re not ready to assign permissions immediately.
- Tags: Optionally, you can add tags to the user. Tags are key-value pairs that help you organize and manage your IAM users.
- Review and Create: Review the user’s details, including permissions and access type. If everything looks correct, click the “Create user” button.
4. View and Download Credentials
- Access Credentials: After creating the user, you’ll see a confirmation screen with the user’s access key ID, secret access key, and console login link (if applicable). Make sure to download these credentials or save them securely, as you won’t be able to view the secret access key again.
Listing IAM Users in AWS
You can list all the IAM users in your AWS account using the AWS Management Console:
1. Go to IAM Users Page
- In the IAM Dashboard, click on “Users” in the left-hand navigation pane. This will display a list of all IAM users in your AWS account.
2. View User Details
- You can click on any user’s name to view their details, including their permissions, groups they belong to, access keys, and security settings.
Deleting an IAM User in AWS
If you need to delete an IAM user, follow these steps:
1. Go to IAM Users Page
- Navigate to the IAM Dashboard, then click on “Users” in the left-hand navigation pane to view the list of IAM users.
2. Select the User to Delete
- Find the user you want to delete and click on their name to view their user details.
3. Remove User’s Access
- Before deleting the user, you should:
- Delete Access Keys: Under the “Security credentials” tab, delete any active access keys.
- Revoke Permissions: Detach any policies attached to the user and remove the user from any groups.
- Delete MFA Devices: If the user has multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled, delete the MFA device.
- Terminate Active Sessions: If the user is currently signed in, you may want to terminate their active sessions by invalidating their credentials.
4. Delete the User
- After removing access, go back to the user’s details page. At the top of the page, click the “Delete” button. Confirm the deletion in the pop-up dialog box.
Conclusion
IAM users are a fundamental component of AWS identity management, allowing you to securely manage and control access to your AWS resources. Creating, managing, listing, and deleting IAM users are routine tasks that help maintain security and ensure that the right individuals or services have appropriate access to AWS resources. Always follow best practices, such as adhering to the principle of least privilege and regularly reviewing and updating user permissions.
