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AWS AmazonCloudWatch documentation change

Service: AmazonCloudWatch · 2026-05-22 · Documentation low

File: AmazonCloudWatch/latest/logs/GettingSetup_cwl.md

Summary

Removed detailed account setup instructions and replaced with link to AWS Account Management Guide

Security assessment

Change removes specific security best practices (MFA for root user, IAM Identity Center setup) but replaces with a general reference guide. No evidence of addressing a specific vulnerability. Security impact: Reduced emphasis on security best practices could indirectly weaken security posture, but not a direct security fix.

Diff

diff --git a/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/logs/GettingSetup_cwl.md b/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/logs/GettingSetup_cwl.md
index e0a8ebf50..0bb9b689b 100644
--- a//AmazonCloudWatch/latest/logs/GettingSetup_cwl.md
+++ b//AmazonCloudWatch/latest/logs/GettingSetup_cwl.md
@@ -7 +7 @@
-Sign up for an AWS accountCreate a user with administrative accessSet up the Command Line Interface
+Sign up for an AWS accountSet up the Command Line Interface
@@ -15,68 +15 @@ To use Amazon CloudWatch Logs you need an AWS account. Your AWS account allows y
-If you do not have an AWS account, complete the following steps to create one.
-
-###### To sign up for an AWS account
-
-  1. Open [https://portal.aws.amazon.com/billing/signup](https://portal.aws.amazon.com/billing/signup).
-
-  2. Follow the online instructions.
-
-Part of the sign-up procedure involves receiving a phone call or text message and entering a verification code on the phone keypad.
-
-When you sign up for an AWS account, an _AWS account root user_ is created. The root user has access to all AWS services and resources in the account. As a security best practice, assign administrative access to a user, and use only the root user to perform [tasks that require root user access](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_root-user.html#root-user-tasks).
-
-
-
-
-AWS sends you a confirmation email after the sign-up process is complete. At any time, you can view your current account activity and manage your account by going to [https://aws.amazon.com/](https://aws.amazon.com/) and choosing **My Account**.
-
-## Create a user with administrative access
-
-After you sign up for an AWS account, secure your AWS account root user, enable AWS IAM Identity Center, and create an administrative user so that you don't use the root user for everyday tasks.
-
-###### Secure your AWS account root user
-
-  1. Sign in to the [AWS Management Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/) as the account owner by choosing **Root user** and entering your AWS account email address. On the next page, enter your password.
-
-For help signing in by using root user, see [Signing in as the root user](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/signin/latest/userguide/console-sign-in-tutorials.html#introduction-to-root-user-sign-in-tutorial) in the _AWS Sign-In User Guide_.
-
-  2. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your root user.
-
-For instructions, see [Enable a virtual MFA device for your AWS account root user (console)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/enable-virt-mfa-for-root.html) in the _IAM User Guide_.
-
-
-
-
-###### Create a user with administrative access
-
-  1. Enable IAM Identity Center.
-
-For instructions, see [Enabling AWS IAM Identity Center](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//singlesignon/latest/userguide/get-set-up-for-idc.html) in the _AWS IAM Identity Center User Guide_.
-
-  2. In IAM Identity Center, grant administrative access to a user.
-
-For a tutorial about using the IAM Identity Center directory as your identity source, see [ Configure user access with the default IAM Identity Center directory](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//singlesignon/latest/userguide/quick-start-default-idc.html) in the _AWS IAM Identity Center User Guide_.
-
-
-
-
-###### Sign in as the user with administrative access
-
-  * To sign in with your IAM Identity Center user, use the sign-in URL that was sent to your email address when you created the IAM Identity Center user.
-
-For help signing in using an IAM Identity Center user, see [Signing in to the AWS access portal](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/signin/latest/userguide/iam-id-center-sign-in-tutorial.html) in the _AWS Sign-In User Guide_.
-
-
-
-
-###### Assign access to additional users
-
-  1. In IAM Identity Center, create a permission set that follows the best practice of applying least-privilege permissions.
-
-For instructions, see [ Create a permission set](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//singlesignon/latest/userguide/get-started-create-a-permission-set.html) in the _AWS IAM Identity Center User Guide_.
-
-  2. Assign users to a group, and then assign single sign-on access to the group.
-
-For instructions, see [ Add groups](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//singlesignon/latest/userguide/addgroups.html) in the _AWS IAM Identity Center User Guide_.
-
-
-
+To get started with AWS, you need an AWS account. For information about creating an AWS account, see [Getting started with an AWS account](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//accounts/latest/reference/getting-started.html) in the _AWS Account Management Reference Guide_.