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Checks that the AWS root account is not being used for routine activity.

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About

When you connect Amazon Web Services (AWS) to DSALTA, the platform syncs your users, roles, and access settings using read-only API access. DSALTA evaluates this control on every sync. If the requirement is not met, DSALTA activates this check.

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Why This Matters

Stale, unused, or overly powerful credentials are a primary attack vector. Rotating and removing them limits how much damage a compromised key can do — a core hygiene control in SOC 2 and the CIS Benchmarks.

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How to Fix

Before you begin
  • Ensure you have administrative access to the AWS account.
Stop using the root account
  1. Sign in to the AWS Console as an IAM admin user.
  2. Create IAM users or roles for all daily operations instead of the root user.
  3. Remove any root access keys under My Security Credentials, and enable MFA on the root account.
Once root account usage stops, DSALTA retrieves the change on the next sync and sets the check status to Passing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This check runs automatically every 24 hours while the Amazon Web Services (AWS) integration is connected. You can also trigger a manual sync from Integrations in the sidebar.
A failing check appears in your Data Library → Tests dashboard. Work through the steps above; once the underlying configuration is fixed, the status updates automatically on the next sync.
Yes. If it does not apply to your environment, mark it as Not Applicable with a justification. The exclusion is documented for auditors.
No. DSALTA uses read-only API access and never modifies, creates, or deletes resources. All remediation is performed by your team directly in Amazon Web Services (AWS).