IAM (Identity and Access Management)
IAM manages identities, roles, and permissions to control access to resources.
Updated: 2026-03-05
Definition
IAM is the set of policies, roles, and identity systems used to control who can access what.
In cloud platforms, IAM is central to security: least privilege, role assignment, and auditing.
Key points
- Principle of least privilege
- Use roles/groups instead of per-user permissions
- Audit access and rotate credentials
Common mistakes
- Using long-lived access keys unnecessarily.
- Giving admin permissions to speed up early setup.
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