In this episode, Seb and Abram Douglas dive deep into OAuth 2.0 and the challenges of machine-to-machine (M2M) authentication. They unpack the security trade-offs between API keys and the client credentials grant flow, explaining how Amazon Cognito can generate time-bound access tokens and use Lambda triggers for token customization. The conversation highlights token claims, secure verification methods, and how API Gateway integrates with Cognito for simplified authorization. Seb and Abram also explore fine-grained access control using Amazon Verified Permissions and outline best practices like securing secrets with AWS Secrets Manager, rotating client credentials, and enabling AWS WAF. Finally, they look ahead to the role of AI agents in secure M2M communication, stressing the importance of user consent, identity propagation, and robust token management in future architectures.

With Abrom Douglas, Solution Architect, Amazon Cognito

Empower AI agents with user context using Amazon Cognito

Cognito User Pool

Client Credentials Flow, OAUth 2 specification