> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-notes.gitbook.io/kyles-cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-gitbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-notes.gitbook.io/kyles-cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-gitbook/aws/certified-cloud-practitioner/intro-to-aws/theory/aws-identity-and-access-management-iam.md).

# 🔐 AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

**AWS IAM** (Identity and Access Management) is a tool for managing **who can access what** across all AWS services and resources.

**🧑‍💻 IAM Users:**

* **Root User**: Created when you first sign up for AWS. This user has **full control** of the account.
* **IAM Users**: Additional users you create, each with specific access permissions.
* Example:
  * You own a company with:
    * 10 developers: access to development resources.
    * 5 salespeople: access to sales reports.
    * 2 testers: access to development and test servers.
    * 1 release engineer: access to all resources.
  * Using **policies**, you control what each user or group can access.
* **Policies**: Define what users can do.
  * Policies can be created using a **visual editor** or **JSON**.
  * Example:
    * **Effect**: Allow or Deny.
    * **Action**: What the user can do (e.g., `ListBucket`).
    * **Resource**: What the policy applies to.

**📄 IAM Roles:**

* Similar to users but with more versatility.
* **Roles** allow access delegation to **users or services**.
* Example:
  * If you have a virtual machine hosting a website and a separate AWS database, you can create a **role** that allows the virtual machine to access the database.
* **Roles** can be assumed by:
  * **Users** or **services**.
  * Even users from **different AWS accounts** can use roles, adding an extra security layer.

AWS IAM is fundamental for **managing permissions and securing access** to AWS resources, ensuring that users and services only have the permissions they need.