Configure Okta with AWS IAM Identity Center: Federated access done right
SSO (single sign-on) through Okta reduces password sprawl. Users login to Okta. Get automatic AWS access. Better security, easier management.
Step 1: Set up IAM Identity Center
Enable in AWS Organizations. Creates a directory for managing users and roles.
Step 2: Configure Okta as identity provider
In IAM Identity Center, add Okta as a SAML 2.0 identity provider.
Download Okta metadata. Upload to IAM Identity Center. Test connection.
Step 3: Create user groups in Okta
Groups in Okta map to AWS roles. "Engineering" group gets Developer access. "Finance" group gets ReadOnly access.
Step 4: Assign AWS account access
In IAM Identity Center, define which groups get which AWS accounts and roles.
Step 5: Test SSO
Login with Okta credentials. Verify automatic AWS access.
Benefits
Users stop remembering AWS passwords. Single password (Okta).
Admins don't reset AWS passwords. Okta handles password resets.
Audit trail in Okta. Who logged in, when.
Cost
Okta pricing separate from AWS. AWS IAM Identity Center is free with Organizations.
Where Critical Cloud comes in
SSO improves security but adds complexity. We monitor identity-related activity. You see who accessed what, when.