Password Rotation Policy for AWS RDS IAM Connect

The password will expire. It always does. If you run AWS RDS and connect through IAM, a clear rotation policy isn’t optional—it’s survival.

AWS RDS supports IAM authentication, replacing static passwords with short-lived tokens from AWS Security Token Service. These tokens have a lifespan of 15 minutes. This makes password rotation automatic at the connection level, but the process still needs defined policy, documentation, and monitoring. Without that, broken connections, failed jobs, and downtime follow.

A strong password rotation policy for AWS RDS IAM Connect starts with automation. Use AWS SDKs or the CLI to request fresh auth tokens before each database session. Integrate token retrieval directly into application code or deployment scripts. Never store the token. Never reuse it.

In multi-account setups, enforce cross-account IAM roles with minimal privileges. Combine this with RDS instance parameter group settings that allow IAM authentication. Confirm database users map exactly to IAM roles. This prevents orphaned users that bypass rotation.

Monitoring rotation health is critical. Use AWS CloudWatch to log failed authentication events. Set alarms for connection attempts with expired tokens. Review these logs in real time. Audit quarterly to ensure developers are not reintroducing static passwords in connection strings.

Security teams should define token request procedures for CI/CD pipelines. Build the rotation trigger as part of the build or deploy step. Rotate secrets stored in AWS Secrets Manager on a fixed schedule, even if using IAM auth, to cover supporting credentials—like API keys—that enable token retrieval.

Cut the attack surface further with network-level controls. Pair IAM authentication with restricted security groups and enforced TLS for all connections. This way, even if rotation fails temporarily, exposure stays limited and measurable.

A clear, automated password rotation policy for AWS RDS IAM Connect is more than compliance—it keeps systems alive under pressure.

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