IAM – Service for managing user permissions and roles.

IAM is a crucial security service that provides fine-grained access control to cloud resources. It enables organizations to create and manage user identities, groups, and roles, and define precise permissions for each. IAM implements the principle of least privilege, allowing administrators to grant only the permissions necessary for users to perform their tasks. The service supports features like multi-factor authentication (MFA), password policies, and temporary security credentials. IAM policies can be attached to users, groups, or roles, and can be written in JSON format. The service provides detailed access logs and integrates with organization-wide single sign-on (SSO) solutions. Understanding IAM is essential for maintaining security and compliance in cloud environments.