AWS IAM vs HashiCorp Boundary: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Both AWS IAM and HashiCorp Boundary are identity and access management solutions used to secure resources in cloud environments. They have unique features and functionalities that differentiate them from each other.

1. Cloud Provider vs Open Source Tool: AWS IAM is a cloud service provided by Amazon Web Services for managing user access to AWS services and resources. On the other hand, HashiCorp Boundary is an open-source tool that provides secure access to hosts and services across environments like cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

2. Dynamic Access Controls: HashiCorp Boundary offers dynamic access controls that allow users to define policies based on various factors such as user identity, resource being accessed, and time of access. This helps in enforcing fine-grained access control policies dynamically. In contrast, AWS IAM offers static policies that need to be explicitly defined and assigned to users or groups.

3. Network-based Access Control: HashiCorp Boundary focuses on network-based access control, providing secure access to resources based on the user's identity and the network they are connecting from. This helps in securing resources across different network boundaries in a consistent manner. AWS IAM, on the other hand, primarily focuses on controlling access to AWS services and resources within the AWS ecosystem.

4. Zero Trust Architecture: HashiCorp Boundary follows a zero trust architecture approach, where access is granted based on user, device, and context verification rather than implicitly trusting users or devices. This ensures a higher level of security by continuously verifying and authenticating users before granting access to resources. AWS IAM also supports zero trust principles but may require additional configurations and integrations to achieve a similar level of security.

5. Fine-grained Policies: HashiCorp Boundary allows for the creation of fine-grained access policies that can be defined based on user roles, resource types, and conditions. This enables more precise control over who can access which resources and under what circumstances. In contrast, AWS IAM policies are generally broader and may require the use of additional services or tools to achieve the same level of granularity in access control.

In Summary, AWS IAM is a cloud-based service provided by AWS for managing access to AWS resources, while HashiCorp Boundary is an open-source tool that focuses on dynamic access controls, network-based access control, zero trust architecture, and fine-grained policies for securing resources in diverse environments.