What is the primary function of AWS IAM roles?

The primary function of AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles is to enable cross-account access and permissions delegation. IAM roles are designed to provide secure access to AWS resources without the need to share long-term credentials. They can be assumed by users, applications, or AWS services, allowing these entities to interact with other AWS resources as needed based on the permissions assigned to the role.

Using IAM roles facilitates scenarios such as granting temporary credentials for users from another AWS account or allowing an application running on an Amazon EC2 instance to access resources in another account. This enhances the security model because it reduces the risk associated with distributing permanent credentials. By working with IAM roles, organizations can implement a least-privilege access model, ensuring that users and services only have access to what is necessary for their roles.

In contrast, managing AWS account billing and payment pertains to account management rather than access control. Allowing multiple users access to Amazon EC2 instances focuses on instance access but does not encompass the broader functionality of IAM roles, which is about permissions and security management. Similarly, creating Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) and managing subnets is related to networking rather than the access delegation and permissions aspects that IAM roles specialize in. Thus, the correct answer emphasizes the