What are the best practices for managing IAM roles across multiple AWS accounts?

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What are the best practices for managing IAM roles across multiple AWS accounts?

Asked on Jan 05, 2026

Answer

Managing IAM roles across multiple AWS accounts involves implementing a centralized and scalable approach to ensure security and operational efficiency. This typically includes using AWS Organizations for centralized management, implementing cross-account roles, and leveraging AWS IAM Identity Center for streamlined access management.

Example Concept: AWS Organizations allows you to centrally manage policies across multiple AWS accounts. By using Service Control Policies (SCPs), you can enforce permissions and ensure compliance across your organization. Additionally, cross-account IAM roles enable secure access between accounts, reducing the need for multiple user credentials. AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly AWS SSO) can be used to manage user access and permissions efficiently, providing a single sign-on experience across accounts.

Additional Comment:

Use AWS Organizations to group accounts and apply SCPs for consistent policy enforcement.
Implement cross-account roles to allow secure access between accounts without sharing credentials.
Leverage AWS IAM Identity Center for centralized user management and SSO capabilities.
Regularly audit IAM roles and permissions to ensure they follow the principle of least privilege.
Consider using AWS CloudFormation or AWS CDK to automate IAM role provisioning and updates.

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