AWS IAM Audit (Checklist)

Compliance is frequently seen as a blocking factor to digital transformation. Creating regulations that identify the who, what, where, why, and how of data access ensures that the correct users have access to the right information at the right time for the right reason. You’ll need a solution that addresses the proliferation of identities across the on-premises, hybrid, and cloud ecosystems when your company migrates to the cloud. You can mature your security tactics by understanding how Identity and Access Management (IAM) compliance fits into the jigsaw piece of updated IT infrastructure.

Starting with user authentication and authorization, often using a single sign-on solution that incorporates multi-factor authentication, Identity and Access Management (IAM) services protect data privacy and security by assigning users’ access rights to resources with Identity Management (IDM) solutions that continuously monitor access for proving enforcement of and governance over “least privilege” access rights.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a web service that allows you to manage access to AWS services in a secure manner. IAM allows you to manage who is authenticated (signed in) and allowed (granted permissions) to access resources.

How can you make sure that your AWS IAM is safe?

1. Access keys should not be given to the root account.
   The root account has full control over the whole account. Access keys should not be given to the root account. It also shouldn’t be able to access any services. Create IAM users with predefined roles instead.
2. The Access Keys for Root Accounts Should Be Rotated
   Access keys should not be given to the root account. If you have that, the keys should be rotated on a regular basis.
3. Root Accounts Should Not Be Connected To Certificates
4. Certificates for Root Accounts Should Be Rotated on a regular basis
5. MFA should be enabled on the root account.
   In order to safeguard your AWS environment and follow to IAM security best practices, Multifactor Authentication should be enabled for all accounts, with no exceptions.
6. Password Rotation for the Root Account is Required
   Make sure you change your root account password every few days.
7. AWS accounts should have a minimum of two administrators.
   The number of administrators in your AWS account should be restricted to a minimum.
8. There Shouldn’t Be Too Many Admins on Your AWS Account
9. User Accounts Should Be Removed If They Aren’t Used
   As an extra security precaution to prevent your AWS resources from unapproved access, all unused IAM users with console access and API access should be deactivated.
10. User Accounts Should Have Multi-Factor Authentication Enabled
    On user accounts, MFA must be activated. To help protect your AWS resources, AWS advises that you set up multi-factor authentication (MFA).
11. Access Keys for User Accounts Should Be Rotated
12. Certificates for User Accounts Should Be Rotated
13. Access credentials for inactive user accounts should be removed.
14. User Console Access Inactive
    Users who are infrequent or do not require console access should have their accounts disabled.
15. Inactivity in the User Account Service
    Checks for any user’s inactivity on a service. For a better security posture, certain privileges should be revoked.
16. Inline policies should not be used by users.
    Inline policies should not be used by IAM users. IAM regulations should be applied directly to groups and roles, but not to users.
17. There should be no more than one access key per user account.
    It’s best to avoid using several access keys for the same user. Each user account should only have one access key.
18. Roles that are no longer in use should be removed.
19. Inactivity in the role service
    Roles with access to services that haven’t been utilised in a few days should be investigated and cleaned up.
20. Roles Should Not Have Inline Policies
    Role should not have inline policies attached to them.
21. Groups Without Users Should Be Removed
    Empty groups should be cleared up as soon as possible and should not be left lying around.
22. ELB Certificates Should Be Rotated
    Ensures that your certificate is rotated before the set configurable days have passed.
23. There Should Be A Complex Password Policy
    Users should be able to create passwords that are difficult to guess and hack if the password policy is complex enough.

Why Do Organizations Struggle with IAM Compliance?

The issue with IAM compliance is genuine. When businesses add more SaaS applications to streamline their operations, they frequently lose sight of their users’ access within the complex architecture.

1. Time-consuming Manual Processes
   As you incorporate additional cloud techniques, the manual processes that worked for your on-premises architecture become burdensome. Your IT administrator or management must assess and certify additional user access with each new technology. The time-consuming review process adds operational costs to cloud migration plans, negating the cost advantages.
2. Operational Risk and Compliance Risk
   When IT administrators and department heads are swamped with certification reviews, they frequently grant automatic access. Unfortunately, this “rubber-stamping” might result in internal controls, such as SOD regulations, being violated.

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