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Isaac Oppong-Amoah
Isaac Oppong-Amoah

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🛡️ What is the AWS IAM Identity Center Service?

#aws #security #iam #cloud

AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly AWS SSO) helps you centrally manage access to multiple AWS accounts and cloud applications using single sign-on (SSO). It streamlines access management across your organization while increasing security and visibility.

In this post, we’ll cover:

  • What IAM Identity Center is
  • How to configure it
  • Integrating with Service Control Policies (SCPs)
  • How it works with roles, permission sets, and identity providers
  • Visual architecture and examples

🔍 What is IAM Identity Center?

IAM Identity Center provides a centralized hub for managing user identities and access to AWS accounts and business applications.

📌 Core Features:

  • Centralized access control for AWS Organizations
  • Built-in or external identity provider support
  • Assign permissions across multiple accounts
  • Supports SAML 2.0, Azure AD, Okta, and more

🧩 Architecture Diagram

IAM Identity Center Architecture

🏢 Securing AWS Organizations with Service Control Policies (SCPs)

SCPs define the maximum permissions available for accounts within an AWS Organization. They do not grant permissions—they act as filters.

🔐 Example: Block all access to unapproved AWS regions.

{ "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Sid": "DenyUnapprovedRegions", "Effect": "Deny", "Action": "*", "Resource": "*", "Condition": { "StringNotEquals": { "aws:RequestedRegion": [ "us-east-1", "us-west-2" ] } } } ] }
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⚙️ Configuring IAM Identity Center (First-Time Setup)

Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to AWS IAM Identity Center in the console
  2. Choose identity source (AWS Directory or external IdP)
  3. Create or connect users/groups
  4. Assign users to AWS accounts with permission sets

📸 Setup UI
IAM Identity Center Setup

🔗 Supported Identity Providers

IAM Identity Center supports:

  • AWS-native users
  • Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
  • Okta
  • OneLogin
  • Google Workspace (SAML)
  • Any SAML 2.0-compliant IdP

📘 See full list of supported IdPs

🧾 Permission Sets: Fine-Grained Access

Permission sets are IAM policy templates you apply to users or groups.

🧱 Example YAML Permission Set for Admin Access:

Name: AdminAccess ManagedPolicies: - "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AdministratorAccess" SessionDuration: "PT1H"
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🎯 Assign this to a group to allow full access to a specific AWS account.

👥 Managing Multiple Users with Groups

IAM Identity Center allows group-based permission management for easier scaling.

🟡 Limitations:

  • No nested group support
  • Group sync depends on IdP capability

Use groups like DevOps-Team, Security-Analysts, etc., to manage access at scale.

🔄 Using Service Roles for Automated Access

AWS services like Lambda or CloudFormation use service-linked roles to interact with other AWS resources.

📘 List of AWS services using IAM roles

💡 Combine this with permission sets to allow trusted services to perform actions on behalf of users.

🕐 Temporary Access with IAM Roles

IAM Identity Center also supports temporary access via role assumption.

🛠️ Cross-account access:

  1. Create a permission set in Account A
  2. Allow it to assume a role in Account B

🔑 Trust policy example:

{ "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Effect": "Allow", "Principal": { "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::<AccountA>:role/SSOUserRole" }, "Action": "sts:AssumeRole" } ] }
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✅ Summary

AWS IAM Identity Center simplifies identity and access management across AWS Organizations by providing:

  • Centralized access management
  • Integration with IdPs and AWS SCPs
  • Scalable role and permission handling
  • SSO support for apps and services

🔐 Combine it with SCPs and best practices for robust enterprise security.

📚 References & Further Reading

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