Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Simplify your existing workforce access with IAM Identity Center (SEC207)

Summary

Harvinder Nagpal (Harvey) and Jonathan Van Kim presented on IAM Identity Center and its role in simplifying access management for AWS services.
IAM Identity Center is the rebranded AWS SSO, offering more than just single sign-on capabilities.
It integrates with AWS Organizations and can manage access across multiple accounts and organizational units.
IAM Identity Center can work with existing identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, and Ping, allowing synchronization of identities for authentication across applications.
It offers centralized management of access and permissions, eliminating the need for individual IAM federation setups in each account.
The session covered the use of IAM Identity Center for different personas such as architects, engineers, and operations teams.
Jonathan discussed the migration from IAM-based federation to IAM Identity Center, emphasizing its low risk and cost-effectiveness.
They also touched on AWS Managed Active Directory services, which support integration with AWS services and on-premises Active Directory.
The session concluded with a mention of new features and resources available for IAM Identity Center and Managed Active Directory services.

IAM Identity Center is positioned as a central hub for managing workforce identities and access across AWS accounts, which aligns with the trend of multi-account strategies for better security and isolation.
The service is designed to be flexible, supporting integration with a wide range of external identity providers, which is crucial for organizations with existing identity management solutions.
IAM Identity Center's ability to manage permissions at scale and provide a single sign-on experience can significantly reduce administrative overhead and improve security posture.
The session highlighted the importance of a phased approach to migration, which allows organizations to test and validate the new system with minimal disruption.
AWS Managed Active Directory services cater to organizations that rely heavily on Active Directory, providing a managed solution that can integrate with AWS services and existing on-premises infrastructure.
The presenters emphasized AWS's commitment to evolving IAM Identity Center and Managed Active Directory services, indicating ongoing investment in identity and access management solutions by AWS.