IAM Service Linked Roles

Overview

The "IAM Service Linked Roles" widget shows information about service-linked roles in AWS. Service-linked roles are predefined IAM roles that allow AWS services to access resources in other AWS services on behalf of the user. Understanding these roles is important for managing permissions granted to AWS services and ensuring that security configurations align with best practices.

Why It Matters

For IT Engineers:

1. Service Integration Management:

   • Ensures that only authorized services are granted access to resources through service-linked roles, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

2. Role Visibility:

   • Provides an overview of all service-linked roles, helping engineers understand which services are interacting with their AWS environment.

3. Simplified Permissions Management:

   • Helps manage permissions for AWS services in a centralized manner by tracking and reviewing service-linked roles.

For Security Engineers:

1. Risk Mitigation:

   • Identifies and reduces the risk of over-permissioned or misconfigured service-linked roles that could be exploited by attackers.

2. Compliance:

   • Ensures that only trusted services are linked to the AWS environment, ensuring adherence to security best practices and compliance standards.

3. Access Control:

   • Helps ensure that the service-linked roles do not provide unnecessary permissions, maintaining strict access control over AWS resources.