AWS Account login issue for external partner

To replace an old administrator with a new one in an AWS account, especially when the previous admin has left the company, there are a few steps that can be taken:

1. First, check if there are any other users in the company who have elevated IAM (Identity and Access Management) permissions. If so, they can grant administrator access to the new person.

2. If no one else has the necessary permissions, the next step would be to check if the root user credentials are securely stored somewhere in the company. The root user has full access to all AWS services and resources in the account and can be used to grant administrator privileges to a new user.

3. If root user credentials are available, they can be used to:

• Sign in to the AWS Management Console
• Open the IAM console
• Create a new IAM user with administrative permissions
• Attach the "AdministratorAccess" policy to this new user

4. If neither of these options is available, the company may need to contact AWS Support for assistance. AWS has procedures in place to help verify account ownership and potentially regain access in such situations.

5. For future reference, it's a best practice to have more than one administrator or to use AWS Organizations with a management account to oversee member accounts. This helps prevent situations where access is lost due to personnel changes.

6. Once access is regained, it's crucial to review and update the account's security settings, including changing passwords, rotating access keys, and reviewing IAM policies and roles.

Remember, it's important to follow AWS security best practices, such as using multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the root user and all IAM users with console access, especially those with elevated privileges.
Sources
Change IAM administrator | AWS re:Post
Create a user with administrative access - Amazon One Enterprise
Setting up a new AWS account - AWS Glue DataBrew