What is the best strategy for an organization handling sensitive data on AWS?

Applying fine-grained access policies is the best strategy for an organization handling sensitive data on AWS. This approach ensures that access control is as specific as possible, allowing permissions to be tailored to individual users, roles, or applications based on their specific needs. By implementing fine-grained policies, organizations can enforce the principle of least privilege, which means users only have access to the data necessary for their roles and no more. This level of control reduces the risk of unauthorized access and helps maintain the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.

While limiting access to a few users can be a part of a strategy to protect sensitive data, it may not cover all scenarios. In environments where many users need access to different elements of data or applications, fine-grained access allows organizations to manage permissions more effectively.

Storing data on S3 only is not a comprehensive strategy for managing sensitive data. While S3 is a powerful storage solution with many features for data protection, the security of sensitive information relies heavily on access policies and not solely on where data is stored.

Using IAM (Identity and Access Management) to grant access is important; however, it is more about the mechanism for managing user permissions than the strategy itself. While IAM is a foundational tool for access management in AWS