Reviewed by Aditya Kumar · Last reviewed 2026-03-24
**IAM roles:** Service-to-service (Lambda→S3). Prefer over keys. **Service accounts:** Apps; rotate creds. **OAuth2/OpenID:** User-facing; PKCE for public. **API keys:** External partners; narrow scope; rotate. **Secrets managers:** Store keys; never commit. **Why each:** Least...
IAM roles: Service-to-service (Lambda→S3). Prefer over keys. Service accounts: Apps; rotate creds. OAuth2/OpenID: User-facing; PKCE for public. API keys: External partners; narrow scope; rotate. Secrets managers: Store keys; never commit. Why each: Least privilege; workload identity when available. Cost: Key rotation adds ops; automation essential.
Pro-Move: Workload identity + audit cadence. Red Flag: Long-lived keys without rotation.
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