What is the primary purpose of AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)?

The primary purpose of AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is to provision, manage, and deploy SSL/TLS certificates. This service automates the complexity of managing SSL/TLS certificates, which are essential for establishing secure connections between clients and servers over the internet. By simplifying the process of obtaining, renewing, and deploying these certificates, ACM enables users to enhance the security of their applications without the need for a deep understanding of the underlying details of certificate management.

For instance, when an organization wants to secure its website with HTTPS, ACM can help seamlessly issue and configure the appropriate certificates on conventional web services like Amazon CloudFront or Elastic Load Balancing. This eliminates manual efforts typically associated with SSL certificate lifecycle management, such as tracking expiry dates, generating keys, and ensuring certificates are up to date, thus reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities tied to expired or misconfigured certificates.

In contrast, other options focus on different areas: managing cryptographic key storage relates to AWS Key Management Service (KMS), identity management services for users are typically handled by AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), and monitoring security compliance across AWS resources aligns more closely with AWS Config or AWS Security Hub. Each of these services serves a unique function separate from the specific role of ACM in