Exploring S3 Presigned URLs
- Hafeez Baig |
- 11 steps |
- 28 seconds
Amazon Web Services
Refer to the following guide to learn how to use IAM in the cloud\
<https://scribehow.com/shared/Creating_an_IAM_User_and_User_Group_in_AWS_Management_Console__hWNiiXlcRJKFqYZZEJD-cg>
1
Sign in to **AWS Management Console** as an **IAM User**
**Pre-requisite** - Ensure you have selected the AWS region closest to your location\
For this guide, we will be using us-east-2 (Ohio) as a preferred choice
2
Type **S3** in the search bar and click on **S3** to view the S3 Dashboard
**What is Amazon S3?**
Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is a scalable object storage service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is designed to store and retrieve any amount of data from anywhere on the web. S3 offers high availability, durability, and security for data storage needs.
3
On the S3 dashboard, Under the **General purpose buckets** section click on the Name **my-aws-bucket-in28minutes**
Refer to the following guide to learn how to create S3 Bucket<https://scribehow.com/shared/Creating_an_S3_Bucket_and_Exploring_the_UI__0TFMdpbkQvS6jOisdkQjeA>
4
**my-aws-bucket-in28minutes** wizard will open, click on the **Objects** tab and click on the Name **course0.png**
You can select any object to view its Properties, Permissions and its Versions
5
**course0.png** wizard will open, on the top right corner click on the **Open** button
6
Double click on the address bar, right click and Copy the URL
7
Open any text editor and paste the copied url
**Why the URL is so lengthy?**
S3 presigned URLs grant temporary object access. They're lengthy due to security features like encoded credentials, signatures, and expiration time. These elements ensure authenticity and prevent unauthorized access. While long, the length reflects the robust mechanisms protecting your S3 objects. You can potentially minimize length by including only essential headers in the URL.
8
Locate the **X-Amz-Security-Token** parameter in url
**what is X-Amz-Security-Token parameter?**
This token provides additional security and allows for finer control over access expiration times (up to 36 hours) compared to IAM user credentials (up to 7 days).
9
Locate the **X-Amz-Date** parameter in url
**What is X-Amz-Date parameter?**
This parameter specifies the date and time at which the presigned URL was created. It's formatted according to AWS standards
10
Locate the **X-Amz-SignedHeaders** parameter in url
**What is X-Amz-SignedHeaders parameter?**
It specifies a list of HTTP headers that are included in the cryptographic signature calculation.
11
Locate the **X-Amz-Expires** parameter in url
**What is X-Amz-Expires parameter ?**
X-Amz-Expires is a crucial parameter in S3 presigned URLs that dictates the validity period for accessing the S3 object. It essentially acts as a timer that defines how long the URL remains authorized.