Step-by-Step Guide: Managing S3 Bucket Access and Hosting a Static Website

1. Managing S3 Bucket Access

This section covers how to restrict access to an S3 bucket, allowing only specific users (like the bucket owner) to have access.

Step 1: Grant S3 Full Access to an IAM User

1. Log into AWS Management Console:

   • Use your credentials to log into the AWS Management Console.

2. Navigate to IAM (Identity and Access Management):

   • From the AWS Management Console, search for and select IAM.

3. Create an IAM User (if not already created):

   • Go to Users and click Add user.
   • Enter a username (e.g., devops-user).
   • For Access type, select Programmatic access and AWS Management Console access.
   • Attach the policy AmazonS3FullAccess to the user to grant full access to S3.
   • Complete the process by reviewing and creating the user.

4. Verify S3 Access:

   • Log in as the IAM user or switch roles to this user.
   • Navigate to S3 in the AWS Management Console.
   • Ensure that the IAM user can see and access all S3 buckets.

Step 2: Restrict Access Using Bucket Policies

1. Navigate to S3 and Select Your Bucket:

   • Go to S3 in the AWS Management Console.
   • Click on the bucket you want to manage.

2. Go to the Permissions Tab:

   • Once inside the bucket, click on the Permissions tab.
   • Scroll down to Bucket Policy.

3. Edit the Bucket Policy:

   • Click Edit under the Bucket Policy section.
   • To restrict access, add the following JSON policy:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:*",
      "Resource": [
        "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name",
        "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
      ],
      "Condition": {
        "StringNotEquals": {
          "aws:PrincipalArn": "arn:aws:iam::your-account-id:root"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

• Explanation:
  • Effect: Denies the specified actions.
  • Principal: * means everyone.
  • Action: s3:* means all S3 actions.
  • Resource: Specifies the bucket and all objects within it.
  • Condition: StringNotEquals ensures the policy applies to everyone except the bucket owner.
  • Replace "your-bucket-name" with your actual S3 bucket name.
  • Replace "your-account-id" with your actual AWS account ID.

1. Save the Policy:
   • Click Save changes to apply the policy.

Step 3: Validate Access Restrictions

1. Test Access as the IAM User:

   • Log in as the IAM user in an incognito browser or a separate session.
   • Attempt to access the S3 bucket that was just restricted.

2. Verify Access Denial:

   • The IAM user should receive an "Insufficient Permissions" error when trying to list or download objects from the bucket.
   • This confirms that the policy is correctly restricting access.

2. Hosting a Static Website on S3

This section will guide you through setting up an S3 bucket to host a static website.

Step 1: Create and Configure the S3 Bucket

1. Create a New S3 Bucket:

   • In the AWS Management Console, go to S3.
   • Click on Create bucket.
   • Provide a unique bucket name (e.g., my-website-bucket).
   • Choose the appropriate AWS region.

2. Configure Bucket Settings:

   • Under Bucket settings, leave all options as default or adjust them according to your requirements.
   • Ensure that Block all public access is checked initially (you'll change this later).

3. Upload Your Website Files:

   • Click on the bucket name to enter it.
   • Click Upload and upload your index.html (and any other necessary files).

Step 2: Enable Static Website Hosting

1. Navigate to the Properties Tab:

   • Inside your bucket, click on the Properties tab.

2. Enable Static Website Hosting:

   • Scroll down to Static website hosting.
   • Click Edit and then Enable static website hosting.
   • Select Host a static website.
   • Enter index.html as the Index document.
   • If you have an error page, specify the Error document (e.g., error.html).
   • Click Save changes.

3. Public Access Configuration:

   • By default, your bucket will still be private.

Step 3: Adjust Bucket Permissions for Public Access

1. Unblock Public Access:

   • Go to the Permissions tab.
   • Click Edit under Block all public access.
   • Uncheck Block all public access and save the changes.

2. Confirm Public Access Changes:

   • A confirmation dialog will appear; click Confirm.

Step 4: Add a Bucket Policy for Public Read Access

1. Add a Public Read Bucket Policy:
   • Go to Bucket Policy under the Permissions tab.
   • Add the following policy:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
    }
  ]
}

• Replace "your-bucket-name" with your actual bucket name.
• This policy allows public read access to all objects in your bucket.

1. Save the Policy:
   • Click Save changes to apply the policy.

Step 5: Access the Static Website

1. Retrieve the Website URL:

   • Go back to the Properties tab.
   • Scroll down to Static website hosting.
   • The Bucket website endpoint will provide a URL (e.g., http://your-bucket-name.s3-website-region.amazonaws.com).

2. Test Your Website:

   • Open the URL in your web browser to see your static website live.