How to Limit a User's Access Using the AWS IAM
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Inline Policies in AWS IAM
Introduction:
In AWS (Amazon Web Services), IAM (Identity and Access Management) provides a robust framework for managing user permissions and access control. Inline policies offer a flexible way to define fine-grained permissions directly within an IAM entity. This blog post will walk you through the process of creating inline policies in AWS IAM, enabling you to precisely control access to your AWS resources. Let's dive in!
Step 1: Navigate to the IAM Service
Once logged in, search for "IAM" in the services search bar at the top of the AWS Management Console. Click on "IAM" from the suggestions or select it from the list of available services.
Step 2: Select the IAM Entity
In the IAM console, locate and click on the entity (user, group, or role) to which you want to attach the inline policy. Here, I will be using the User entity “Francis” because I want to give him read-only permission to IAM.
Step 3: Access the Permissions Tab
Within the IAM entity's details page, navigate to the "Permissions" tab. This tab displays the existing policies associated with the selected entity. Click the Add permission button on the right top and select the Create Inline Policy from the dropdown.
Step 4: Add Inline Policy
Under the "Permissions" tab, locate the "Inline Policies" section. Click on the "Add inline policy" button to create a new inline policy. In the policy editor, you can choose between the visual or JSON editor.
For simplicity, you can use the visual editor. Start by selecting the service or resource you want to grant access to from the "Service" dropdown. Specify the desired actions or permissions for the selected service or resource. Optionally, you can refine the policy by adding conditions using the "Add condition" button.
Personally, I prefer to use the JSON method. All I have to do is supply the code from IAM read-only access official documentation. Then click next and provide the policy details
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": {
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"iam:Get*",
"iam:List*",
"iam:Generate*"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
}
Step 5: Review and Name the Policy
Review and fine-tune the policy until it accurately reflects your desired access requirements. Then provide a meaningful name for the policy in the "Name" field. Then click the Create Policy button
Step 6: Confirmation and Verification
AWS will create the inline policy and associate it with the selected IAM entity.
You can confirm the successful creation by reviewing the inline policy in the entity's permissions tab.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully created an inline policy in AWS IAM. Inline policies offer a convenient way to define specific permissions directly within an IAM entity, granting fine-grained control over access to your AWS resources. By leveraging inline policies, you can customize and tailor permissions to meet your organization's security and operational requirements.
To learn more about best practices and strategies to secure your cloud resources, implement identity and access management (IAM) policies, set up network security controls, and comply with industry standards and regulations, check out other blog posts I have on AWS IAM.
AWS IAM: Strengthening Security and Access Control in the Cloud
How to Create an IAM User and Add MFA
How to Create IAM Roles in AWS
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