IAM on AWS: the fastest security win is boring
Most AWS breaches don’t require exotic zero‑days. They exploit predictable gaps:
- overly broad IAM permissions - long‑lived keys - weak separation between environments
If you fix identity first, everything else gets easier.
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1) Prefer roles over static keys
Static access keys spread silently (repos, laptops, CI logs).
Safer default:
- IAM roles - short-lived credentials - federated access where possible
2) Least privilege is a process, not a one-off
Start restrictive, then expand based on real usage.
Practical approach:
- create narrow policies for each workload - log and review denied actions - remove permissions you don’t need
3) Separate prod from everything else
If staging has “almost prod” permissions, it becomes a backdoor.
Use:
- separate accounts - separate roles - separate secrets
4) Make access reviews routine
Good teams schedule:
- quarterly role review - key rotation checks - admin access exceptions review
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How PG Technologies helps
We help teams harden AWS identity without slowing delivery:
- AWS security posture reviews - IAM policy design and rollout - multi-account strategy and guardrails - CI/CD hardening and incident readiness
Sources
- AWS IAM (overview): https://aws.amazon.com/iam/
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