Understanding Console and Access Key Access

Oct 13, 2025 by pynkocean.com 123 views

Introduction

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a powerful service that allows you to manage access to your AWS resources. One of the key features of IAM is the ability to create policies that define what actions can be performed on which resources. However, when it comes to differentiating between console and access key access, things can get a bit tricky. In this article, we will explore how to create an AWS IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access.

Understanding Console and Access Key Access

Before we dive into creating a policy, let's understand the difference between console and access key access.

Console Access: Console access refers to access to the AWS Management Console, which is the web-based interface for managing your AWS resources. When a user logs in to the console, they are granted access to the resources and actions defined in their IAM policy.
Access Key Access: Access key access, on the other hand, refers to access to your AWS resources using an access key. An access key is a pair of access keys (access key ID and secret access key) that can be used to authenticate and authorize access to your AWS resources. Access key access is typically used by applications and services that need to interact with your AWS resources programmatically.

Use Case: Allowing Full IAM Privileges to a Group of Users

Let's say you want to allow a certain group of users full IAM privileges, but you only want to grant them console access. You don't want to grant them access key access, as you want to ensure that they can't use their access keys to access your AWS resources programmatically.

Creating an IAM Policy

To create an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access, you can use the following policy structure:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Sid": "AllowConsoleAccess",
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "iam:GetUser",
        "iam:GetGroup",
        "iam:GetRole",
        "iam:GetPolicy",
        "iam:ListUsers",
        "iam:ListGroups",
        "iam:ListRoles",
        "iam:ListPolicies"
      ],
      "Resource": "*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringLike": {
          "aws:CalledVia": ["console.amazonaws.com"]
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "Sid": "DenyAccessKeyAccess",
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Action": [
        "iam:GetUser",
        "iam:GetGroup",
        "iam:GetRole",
        "iam:GetPolicy",
        "iam:ListUsers",
        "iam:ListGroups",
        "iam:ListRoles",
        "iam:ListPolicies"
      ],
      "Resource": "*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringNotLike": {
          "aws:CalledVia": ["console.amazonaws.com"]
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

In this policy, we have two statements:

The first statement allows console access to all actions on all resources. The Condition statement ensures that this access is only granted when the request is made from the AWS Management Console.
The second statement denies access key access to all actions on all resources. The Condition statement ensures that this denial is only applied when the request is not made from the AWS Management Console.

Testing the Policy

To test the policy, you can create a test user and assign the policy to them. Then, you can use the AWS CLI to test the policy by making requests from the console and from an access key.

aws iam create-user --user-name test-user
aws iam attach-user-policy --user-name test-user --policy-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:policy/ConsoleAccessPolicy

Then, you can use the AWS CLI to make requests from the console and from an access key:

aws iam get-user --user-name test-user
aws iam get-user --user-name test-user --access-key-id <access-key-id> --secret-access-key <secret-access-key>

If the policy is correctly configured, the first request should succeed, and the second request should fail.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how to create an AWS IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access. We created a policy that allows console access to all actions on all resources, but denies access key access to all actions on all resources. We also tested the policy using the AWS CLI. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a policy that meets your specific use case and ensures that your AWS resources are accessed securely.

Best Practices

When creating an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access, keep the following best practices in mind:

Use a clear and concise policy structure.
Use conditions to specify when the policy should be applied.
Test the policy thoroughly to ensure that it meets your requirements.
Use the AWS CLI to test the policy and ensure that it is correctly configured.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored how to create an AWS IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access. In this article, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about creating such policies.

Q: What is the difference between console and access key access?

A: Console access refers to access to the AWS Management Console, which is the web-based interface for managing your AWS resources. When a user logs in to the console, they are granted access to the resources and actions defined in their IAM policy. Access key access, on the other hand, refers to access to your AWS resources using an access key. An access key is a pair of access keys (access key ID and secret access key) that can be used to authenticate and authorize access to your AWS resources. Access key access is typically used by applications and services that need to interact with your AWS resources programmatically.

Q: Why would I want to differentiate between console and access key access?

A: You may want to differentiate between console and access key access for several reasons. For example, you may want to grant console access to a group of users who need to manage your AWS resources, but you don't want to grant them access key access, as you want to ensure that they can't use their access keys to access your AWS resources programmatically. Alternatively, you may want to grant access key access to a group of users who need to interact with your AWS resources programmatically, but you don't want to grant them console access, as you want to ensure that they can't access your AWS resources through the console.

Q: How do I create an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access?

A: To create an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access, you can use the following policy structure:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Sid": "AllowConsoleAccess",
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "iam:GetUser",
        "iam:GetGroup",
        "iam:GetRole",
        "iam:GetPolicy",
        "iam:ListUsers",
        "iam:ListGroups",
        "iam:ListRoles",
        "iam:ListPolicies"
      ],
      "Resource": "*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringLike": {
          "aws:CalledVia": ["console.amazonaws.com"]
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "Sid": "DenyAccessKeyAccess",
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Action": [
        "iam:GetUser",
        "iam:GetGroup",
        "iam:GetRole",
        "iam:GetPolicy",
        "iam:ListUsers",
        "iam:ListGroups",
        "iam:ListRoles",
        "iam:ListPolicies"
      ],
      "Resource": "*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringNotLike": {
          "aws:CalledVia": ["console.amazonaws.com"]
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

In this policy, we have two statements:

The first statement allows console access to all actions on all resources. The Condition statement ensures that this access is only granted when the request is made from the AWS Management Console.
The second statement denies access key access to all actions on all resources. The Condition statement ensures that this denial is only applied when the request is not made from the AWS Management Console.

Q: How do I test an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access?

A: To test an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access, you can use the AWS CLI to make requests from the console and from an access key. For example:

aws iam get-user --user-name test-user
aws iam get-user --user-name test-user --access-key-id <access-key-id> --secret-access-key <secret-access-key>

If the policy is correctly configured, the first request should succeed, and the second request should fail.

Q: What are some best practices for creating IAM policies that differentiate between console and access key access?

A: When creating an IAM policy that differentiates between console and access key access, keep the following best practices in mind:

Use a clear and concise policy structure.
Use conditions to specify when the policy should be applied.
Test the policy thoroughly to ensure that it meets your requirements.
Use the AWS CLI to test the policy and ensure that it is correctly configured.

By following these best practices, you can create a policy that meets your specific use case and ensures that your AWS resources are accessed securely.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered some of the most frequently asked questions about creating AWS IAM policies that differentiate between console and access key access. We provided a policy structure and best practices for creating such policies. By following these best practices, you can create a policy that meets your specific use case and ensures that your AWS resources are accessed securely.