Question

Difficulty: EasyIdentity and Access Management (IAM)

A startup is setting up its first AWS account and wants to follow AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) best practices to secure access for its developers and services. Which two recommendations should the startup implement to secure the account? (Select TWO.)

  1. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the AWS account root user and avoid using it for everyday tasks.Answer
  2. Create individual IAM users for each developer and manage their permissions using IAM groups.Answer
  3. C
    Use the AWS account root user for daily administrative tasks to prevent permission blockage.
  4. D
    Embed permanent IAM user access keys directly in the application code running on EC2 instances instead of using IAM roles.
  5. E
    Rely on AWS to automatically configure and manage the operating system firewall and user access controls inside your EC2 instances.

Answer

Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the AWS account root user while avoiding its everyday use, and creating individual IAM users for each developer to manage their permissions using IAM groups.
According to AWS security best practices, the AWS account root user should have multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled and should not be used for daily administrative tasks. Instead, individual IAM users should be created for each developer, and their permissions should be managed collectively using IAM groups to adhere to the principle of least privilege.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze AWS security recommendations for the root account.
Identify that enabling MFA on the root account and restricting its everyday use is a fundamental best practice.
The root user has complete access to all resources and represents a single point of failure if compromised.
2
Analyze AWS security recommendations for human identity and access management.
Identify that creating individual IAM users and using IAM groups to manage permissions is the standard approach.
This establishes individual accountability and simplifies administration, aligning with the principle of least privilege.

Key Concept

AWS IAM Best Practices for User Management and Root Account Security
Rate this question