What is the Difference Between Root User and IAM User(Identity and Access Management) in EC2

In Amazon Web Services (AWS), both the root user(oga kpatakpata) and IAM (Identity and Access Management) users play critical roles in managing resources, but they have distinct purposes and levels of access. Here's the difference between the root user and IAM users in the context of Amazon EC2:

Root User:

The root user is the initial administrative user that is created when you sign up for an AWS account.
The root user has full, unrestricted access to all resources and services within the AWS account. This includes the ability to create, modify, and delete any resources, including EC2 instances, S3 buckets, IAM users, etc.
Due to the extensive permissions of the root user, it's generally recommended to avoid using the root user for routine tasks or day-to-day activities.
The root user's credentials should be kept highly secure, and their usage should be limited to specific administrative tasks, such as setting up IAM users and roles.
IAM Users:

IAM users are separate identities that you can create within your AWS account. Each IAM user has its own set of credentials (access key ID and secret access key) and permissions.
IAM users allow you to assign fine-grained permissions to individuals or groups of users. This follows the principle of least privilege, where users are only granted the permissions necessary for their specific tasks.
Unlike the root user, IAM users do not have unlimited access by default. Instead, they need to be explicitly granted permissions to perform actions on specific AWS resources.
IAM users can be organized into groups, which makes managing permissions more efficient. Instead of assigning permissions to each user individually, you can assign permissions to a group, and all users within that group inherit those permissions.
IAM users are a best practice for managing security and access control. They provide an additional layer of security by allowing you to manage and monitor who can access your resources and what actions they can perform.
In a nutshell, the key difference between the root user and IAM users in the context of Amazon EC2 has to do with the level of access and control they have. The root user has unrestricted access to all resources, while IAM users allow for controlled, fine-grained access management that aligns with security best practices. It's recommended to use IAM users for everyday tasks and administrative activities, and to restrict the usage of the root user to essential account management tasks.