You can create an AccessKey pair for an Alibaba Cloud account or a Resource Access Management (RAM) user. When you call API operations, you must use the AccessKey pair to complete identity verification.

An AccessKey pair consists of an AccessKey ID and an AccessKey secret.
  • The AccessKey ID is used to identify a user.
  • The AccessKey secret is used to verify the identity of the user. You must keep your AccessKey secret strictly confidential.
Warning If the AccessKey pair of your Alibaba Cloud account is leaked, your resources are exposed to potential risks. We recommend that you use the AccessKey pair of a RAM user to call API operations. This prevents the AccessKey pair of your Alibaba Cloud account from being leaked.

For more information, see Create an AccessKey pair.