Willow A7.1

Are your users only provided with user accounts after a process has been followed to approve their creation?

Section A7: User Access Control  ·  Cyber Essentials Willow

What this question is really asking

Confirm that all user accounts are created through an approval process — not ad-hoc. This should include a named approver, a defined scope of access, and a documented record. Assessors look for evidence of a process, not just confirmation it exists — an audit trail of approvals is the expected standard.

What satisfies this requirement

Yes or No — if Yes, a written description is also required

User accounts must only be created after approval by a leadership role.

Check how you answer this in the CE Explorer
Free tool — all 288 questions mapped across every CE version.
Open CE Explorer

What to prepare before your assessor visit

Assessors want evidence that the approval process actually runs — not just that it exists on paper. An audit trail of provisioning requests, access request tickets, or approval records is the expected evidence. If your directory shows accounts created directly without any corresponding approval record, that is a gap that will be flagged. The process must leave a traceable trail.

How this question sits across CE versions

Willow You are here
Are your users only provided with user accounts after a process has been followed to approve their creation?
Montpellier View →
Are users only provided with user accounts after a process has been followed to approve their creation?
Danzell View →
Are your users only provided with user accounts after a process has been followed to approve their creation?

Related policy templates

Getting certified means having documentation to back it up. These policy templates cover the controls this question tests.

Does your organisation meet this requirement?

Answer 30 plain-English questions and find out exactly where you stand across all 5 Cyber Essentials control areas — with a prioritised list of what to fix first.