What does the acronym IAM stand for in AWS?

The acronym IAM in AWS stands for Identity and Access Management. This service is essential for managing users and their permissions within AWS. It allows you to control who can access specific AWS resources, ensuring that different users and services within an organization have the appropriate level of access based on their roles and responsibilities.

IAM enables you to create and manage AWS users and groups, as well as define and enforce access policies attached to those users. These policies can be very granular, allowing precise control over what actions users can perform and on which resources. This capability is critical for maintaining security in cloud environments, where managing access efficiently is crucial to protecting sensitive information and ensuring compliance with various regulatory standards.

Understanding IAM is fundamental as it underpins AWS security practices and contributes to the overall integrity of cloud deployments.