&gt; I&#x27;m also not sure how to make the jump from exporting AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID and having my instances automatically request the permissions they need - STS?<p>Check out instance profiles. This feature allows any AWS API-aware application to request credentials on demand, eliminating key management&#x2F;rotation:<p>docs.aws.amazon.com&#x2F;IAM&#x2F;latest&#x2F;UserGuide&#x2F;id_roles_use_switch-role-ec2_instance-profiles.html