In AWS (Amazon Web Services), a role is an IAM (Identity and Access Management) entity that defines a set of permissions and policies. Unlike IAM users, roles are not associated with specific individuals but are instead assumed by AWS services, applications, or temporary credentials.
Roles are used to grant permissions to entities that need to access AWS resources securely. They provide a way to delegate access to resources without the need to share long-term credentials. Roles can be assigned to IAM users, AWS services, or even external identities such as identities from other AWS accounts or identity providers.
Roles are commonly used for various purposes in AWS, including granting permissions to EC2 instances, enabling cross-account access, integrating AWS services, and facilitating identity federation. By leveraging roles, organizations can follow the principle of least privilege, ensuring that entities only have the necessary permissions to perform their intended actions.
Roles also offer additional security features such as automatic rotation of temporary security credentials and support for multi-factor authentication (MFA). These capabilities enhance the overall security posture of AWS environments by reducing the risk associated with long-term credentials.
Overall, roles in AWS provide a flexible and secure way to manage access and permissions to AWS resources, enabling organizations to enforce security policies, improve governance, and facilitate seamless integration across different services and entities.
