Discover how the AWS IAM Credential Report helps organizations generate a list of IAM users and view the status of credentials like passwords, access keys, and MFA devices for enhanced security and compliance.
Table of Contents
Question
A company wants to generate a list of IAM users. The company also wants to view the status of various credentials associated with the users, such as passwords, access keys, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) devices. Which AWS service or feature will meet these requirements?
A. IAM credential report
B. AWS IAM Identity Center (AWS Single Sign-On)
C. AWS Identity and Access Management Access Analyzer
D. AWS Cost and Usage Report
Answer
A. IAM credential report
Explanation
An IAM credential report is a feature of AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) that allows you to view and download a report that lists all the IAM users in your account and the status of their various credentials, such as passwords, access keys, and MFA devices.
This AWS feature is specifically designed to generate a detailed report listing all IAM users in an account and the status of their credentials, such as:
- Passwords (enabled/disabled and last used time)
- Access keys (active/inactive and last used time)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) device status
This report is essential for auditing, compliance, and security purposes, as it provides a consolidated view of user credentials across your AWS account.
Why IAM Credential Report is the Right Choice
- Purpose-Built for Credential Auditing: The IAM Credential Report is explicitly designed to provide visibility into the credential status of all IAM users within an AWS account. It includes critical details like password usage, access keys, and MFA status.
- Ease of Access: You can generate the report through the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI (aws iam generate-credential-report), or programmatically using the AWS SDKs.
- Compliance and Security: The report helps organizations meet compliance requirements by identifying unused or insecure credentials. For example, it can highlight users without MFA enabled or those with outdated access keys.
- Automation Options: For large-scale environments, the process can be automated using tools like AWS Lambda and CloudFormation to consolidate reports across multiple accounts managed by AWS Organizations.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect
B. AWS IAM Identity Center (AWS Single Sign-On):
This service manages single sign-on access to multiple accounts but does not provide a detailed credential report for individual IAM users.
C. AWS Identity and Access Management Access Analyzer:
This tool identifies resource policies that allow external access but does not generate reports on user credentials.
D. AWS Cost and Usage Report:
This service provides cost-related insights but does not deal with IAM user credentials or security information.
How to Generate an IAM Credential Report
To generate the report in the AWS Management Console:
- Navigate to the IAM Console.
- In the left-hand navigation pane, select Credential Report.
- Click on Download Report to obtain a CSV file containing all user credential details.
Alternatively, use the following AWS CLI commands:
# Generate a new credential report aws iam generate-credential-report # Retrieve the latest credential report aws iam get-credential-report
The output is a Base64-encoded CSV file that you can decode for analysis.
Use Cases for IAM Credential Reports
- Security Audits: Identify inactive users or unused credentials.
- Compliance Reporting: Provide evidence of secure credential management to auditors.
- Access Reviews: Regularly review user access to ensure adherence to least privilege principles.
By leveraging this feature, organizations can enhance their security posture and maintain compliance with industry standards.
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