Introduction
Table of Contents
Cloud IAM stands for Cloud Identity and Access Management. It is a sophisticated system that is built on top of email addresses, names, job-type roles, and granular permissions. How to secure and control access to cloud resources is paramount in cloud computing. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) understands this need and has provisioned a robust solution through its Identity and Access Management (IAM) system.
GCP IAM defines who can do what and on which resource. It is designed to grant the right individuals the appropriate level of access to resources within the GCP environment. This post aims to demystify the intricacies of GCP’s cloud IAM, as we explore the three types of IAM roles: primitive, predefined, and custom, and how their implementations contribute to effective access control.
Understanding Cloud IAM
IAM is the cornerstone of security and resource management within GCP. It is the watchdog of the GCP, providing a fine-grained access control framework that allows administrators to define who can do what with specific resources. This control is achieved by assigning roles to users, groups, or service accounts, ensuring that only authorized entities can perform specific actions on GCP resources. IAM role is a collection of permissions. Cloud IAM operates based on three types of roles:
Primitive Roles
Primitive roles are the simplest form of cloud IAM roles in GCP. They are basic roles that offer fixed, coarse-grained, or broad levels of access to actions across an entire project. They are associated with all Google Cloud services in a project and cannot be limited to specific resources within the project. Primitive roles include “Owner,” “Editor,” and “Viewer.”
Owner: Owners have full control over the project and its resources. They can create, modify, and delete resources, manage permissions (invite and remove members), and control billing.
Editor: Editors have similar privileges to Owners but cannot manage permissions or billing settings. They can deploy apps, modify codes, configure services, and delete resources.
Viewer: Viewers have read-only access to resources. They can view but not modify or delete them.
Billing Administrator: A billing Administrator can manage billing, add and remove administrators
Primitive roles are typically suited for situations where you want to grant broad access to users who need to perform administrative tasks. A project can have multiple owners, editors, viewers, and billing administrators.
Predefined Roles:
IAM Predefined roles offer a more granular level of access control by allowing users to assign specific permissions to resources within a project. These roles are predefined by GCP and are categorized into groups based on their function. Predefined roles apply to a particular GCP service in a project. Each predefined role consists of a collection of permissions that determine what actions can be taken on specific resources. Some examples of predefined roles include “Storage Object Viewer,” “Compute Instance Admin,” and “BigQuery Data Viewer.”
Storage Object Viewer: Grants read-only access to objects in a Cloud Storage bucket.
Compute Instance Admin: Enables management of Compute Engine instances, including starting, stopping, and deleting them. These are roles on compute engine resources in a project, folder, or organization.
BigQuery Data Viewer: Allows viewing of BigQuery datasets and tables without the ability to modify them.
Predefined roles cater to specific needs, and scenarios ensuring that access is granted according to the user’s role and responsibilities like the Compute Engine IAM roles.
| Role Title | Description |
| 1) Compute Admin | Takes full control of all compute Engine resources(compute) |
| 2) Network Admin | Permission to create, modify,, and delete networking resources except for firewall rules, and ssl certificate |
| 3) Storage Admin | Permission to create, modify, and delete networking resources except for firewall rules, and ssl certificate |
Custom Roles
Custom roles are the most flexible type of cloud IAM role. They let you define a precise set of permissions. They empower organizations to define their own roles by selecting a subset of permissions from the entire set available in GCP. This customization allows for precise access control that aligns with an organization’s unique requirements.
How to Create a Custom Role
To create a custom role, administrators select the necessary permissions from the GCP permission list. These roles can be as broad or as specific as needed, ensuring a perfect fit for the role.
Custom roles are particularly useful when predefined roles do not precisely match the permissions required for a specific job or task. They minimize the risk of over-provisioning or granting unnecessary permissions.
What are the Benefits of IAM Roles in GCP?
The benefits of IAM roles in GCP cannot be overemphasized. The division of IAM roles into primitive, predefined, and custom roles brings a plethora of advantages for organizations using the Google Cloud Platform:
Granular Access Control
IAM roles offer finely tuned access control, ensuring that users have only the permissions necessary for their tasks. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized actions and data breaches.
Principle of Least Privilege
The principle of Least Privilege is upheld by assigning roles based on job responsibilities. By this principle users have only the permissions essential to their roles, thereby reducing the attack surface.
Flexibility and Customization
Custom roles adapt to unique organizational structures and requirements. This flexibility plays down on scenarios where predefined roles might grant excessive permissions to users.
Compliance and Auditing
Cloud IAM roles help organizations maintain compliance with industry regulations and internal policies by controlling access to sensitive resources. Audit logs track users who accessed what and when promoting accountability.
Efficient Resource Management
IAM roles help to optimize resource allocation and usage. Users can be granted access to the resources they need, reducing the risk of resource wastage.
How to Implement Cloud IAM Roles in GCP
To effectively implement cloud IAM roles in the Google Cloud Platform, follow these steps:
Identify User Roles: The first step is to determine the different roles required within your organization. Then, map out responsibilities and tasks to assign the appropriate IAM roles.
Assign Primitive Roles: Endeavor to assign primitive roles like Owner, Editor, and Viewer to project members to ensure high-level access. These roles must be assigned judiciously, considering the level of control required.
Select Predefined Roles: Always use predefined roles to grant specific permissions for various resources. You must assign roles based on the tasks users need to perform.
Customize with Custom Roles: When predefined roles don’t perfectly match your needs, create custom roles. Choose specific permissions to create a role tailored to the task at hand.
Regularly Review and Make Adjustments: As your organization evolves, regularly review and adjust cloud IAM roles to match changing responsibilities. Remove excessive permissions to maintain the principle of least privilege.
Conclusion
Finally, firmly secured and controlled resource management in the Google Cloud Platform is premised on Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles. Note that the distinction between primitive, predefined, and custom roles allows organizations to grant the right level of access to users, enhancing security, efficiency, and compliance. By embracing cloud IAM within GCP, organizations can confidently navigate the cloud environment, ensuring that resources are accessed and managed with precision, accountability, and utmost security.