AWS Authentication: IAM Identity Center (SSO) - The right way in 2026

The right way to authenticate in AWS in 2026. Goodbye access keys, hello temporary credentials. The problem with access keys For years, the "normal" way to use the AWS CLI was: aws configure # Access Key: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE # Secret Key: wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCY... Problems: Credentials never expire (until you delete them manually) If you push them to Git by mistake → serious security breach Each dev has different credentials → hard to manage When someone leaves the company, you have to delete their keys manually AWS no longer recommends this method for humans. The solution: IAM Identity Center (SSO) Previously called "AWS SSO". It's the recommended method since 2022 and the standard in 2026. Advantages: Temporary credentials (expire automatically every 8-12 hours) Single login for multiple AWS accounts Integration with identity providers (Google Workspace, Okta, Azure AD) Built-in MFA When someone leaves, they lose access automatically Prerequisites AWS CLI v2 (v1 doesn't supp