AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice Test

What is the primary benefit of using an IAM role for EC2 instances?

1. To simplify user management

2. To automatically provide access to CE instances without needing credentials

3. To reduce costs associated with user management

4. To enhance security by reducing dependency on root account

The correct answer is: To automatically provide access to CE instances without needing credentials

The primary benefit of using an IAM role for EC2 instances is that it allows instances to automatically obtain access permissions without the need to manage or embed AWS access keys or secret keys in the application code. When an EC2 instance is launched with an assigned IAM role, it has temporary security credentials automatically provided by AWS, enabling it to access other AWS services securely. This automatic credential management simplifies operations since developers do not need to handle sensitive credentials, such as hard-coded access keys, which could lead to security vulnerabilities if exposed. IAM roles enhance the overall security posture, as they utilize short-lived credentials that are periodically rotated and are assigned based on the permissions defined in the role’s policy, thus minimizing the risk of credential compromise. While the other options do touch on aspects of user management and security, they do not directly address the pivotal feature that IAM roles provide to EC2 instances, which is the seamless and secure way for instances to interact with other AWS services using temporary credentials.