

# Getting Started with Amazon Config
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Amazon Config provides a detailed view of the configuration of Amazon resources in your Amazon Web Services account. With Amazon Config, you can review changes in configurations and relationships between Amazon resources, explore resource configuration history, and use rules to determine compliance. For more information, see [What Is Amazon Config?](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/config/latest/developerguide/WhatIsConfig.html) and [How Amazon Config Works](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/config/latest/developerguide/how-does-config-work.html).

## Signing up for Amazon
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## Sign up for an Amazon Web Services account
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If you do not have an Amazon Web Services account, use the following procedure to create one.

**To sign up for Amazon Web Services**

1. Open [http://www.amazonaws.cn/](http://www.amazonaws.cn/) and choose **Sign Up**.

1. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Amazon 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 [http://www.amazonaws.cn/](http://www.amazonaws.cn/) and choosing **My Account**.

## Secure IAM users
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After you sign up for an Amazon Web Services account, safeguard your administrative user by turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA). For instructions, see [Enable a virtual MFA device for an IAM user (console)](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_credentials_mfa_enable_virtual.html#enable-virt-mfa-for-iam-user) in the *IAM User Guide*.

To give other users access to your Amazon Web Services account resources, create IAM users. To secure your IAM users, turn on MFA and only give the IAM users the permissions needed to perform their tasks.

For more information about creating and securing IAM users, see the following topics in the *IAM User Guide*: 
+ [Creating an IAM user in your Amazon Web Services account](https://docs.amazonaws.cn//IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_users_create.html)
+ [Access management for Amazon resources](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/access.html)
+ [Example IAM identity-based policies](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/access_policies_examples.html)

## Ways to Get Started with Amazon Config
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After you sign up for an Amazon Web Services account, you can get started with Amazon Config with the Amazon Web Services Management Console, Amazon CLI, or the Amazon SDKs.

**Topics**
+ [Setting Up Amazon Config with the Console](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/config/latest/developerguide/gs-console.html)
+ [Setting Up Amazon Config with the Amazon CLI](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/config/latest/developerguide/gs-cli.html)
+ [Using Amazon Config service with the Amazon SDK](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/config/latest/developerguide/sdk-general-information-section.html)