From Cloud Security to AI Assurance: CSA AICM Meets ISO 42001

Organizations are under increasing pressure to secure and govern their AI systems responsibly. Fortunately, industry frameworks are stepping in to help, including the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Artificial Intelligence Controls Matrix (AICM), which maps to the ISO 42001 standard for AI management systems. Together, these frameworks provide a powerful roadmap for aligning AI governance with established security and compliance practices.  

In this blog post, we’ll explore what the AICM is, the benefits of leveraging it, and how to map it to ISO 42001 for comprehensive AI governance.  

What is the CSA AI Controls Matrix? 

The AICM is a framework developed by the CSA to help organizations assess and manage both security and compliance risks related to AI systems. The AICM provides a structured set of security controls tailored for AI and machine learning environments. It’s part of CSA's broader initiative to establish governance and assurance in the use of AI technologies, especially in cloud and enterprise environments. 

The Importance of ISO 42001 in AI Governance 

ISO 42001 is the new standard in the world of AI governance, established in late 2023. Titled aptly as the Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS), it is the first international standard detailing how organizations should manage AI systems responsibly. ISO 42001 provides a standardized management system to govern AI effectively, including guidance to set policies, assign responsibilities, and implement controls to ensure the safe, ethical, and lawful use of AI. A well-built AIMS allows organizations to bridge the ethics and operations of their business while boosting the trust and advantage gained through the effective use of AI. 

How the CSA AICM Maps to ISO 42001 

With the release of CSA’s AICM, it is important to understand how it maps to ISO 42001. This mapping is integral to CSA’s initiative to harmonize AI governance and compliance practices. 

1. Bridging Standards and Practical Controls

• ISO 42001 defines high-level requirements for an AIMS that help an organization understand what they should have in place. 
• AICM provides specific, actionable controls to assist organizations in implementing governance, security, and risk mitigation throughout the AI lifecycle. 

2. Promotes Compliance and Audit-Readiness

• Organizations can use the AICM to track compliance with ISO 42001 by understanding why specific AICM controls align with specific ISO requirements. 
• As part of the CSA’s broader assurance ecosystem, the mapped controls support self-assessment, audit, and certification readiness. 

Benefits of Leveraging the CSA AICM Mapping to ISO 42001 

By aligning the CSA AICM with ISO 42001, organizations can streamline AI governance, strengthen compliance, and build greater trust in their systems. Additional benefits of mapping the CSA AICM to ISO 42001 include: 

1. Streamlines ISO 42001 Implementation
   The AICM provides concrete controls and guidance that directly map to the prescriptive requirements in ISO 42001. This helps to provide more context to the controls of ISO 42001 such as what actions are necessary to effectively implement and align an AIMS with industry standards and requirements.  

2. Supports Integrated Governance Across Frameworks
   CSA’s AICM also maps to frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001, enabling cross-standard alignment. The AICM further simplifies AI governance for organizations with numerous compliance obligations, allowing for the unification of AI, cybersecurity, privacy, and quality management controls. 

3. Enhances Auditability and Certification Readiness
   The mapping helps prepare for ISO 42001 certification and assessments. The AICM adds context and traceability between the controls and ISO clauses, allowing organizations to better prepare documentation and evidence trails in the pursuit of effective AI governance. 

4. Embeds AI-Specific Risk and Ethical Safeguards
   ISO 42001 requires organizations to manage AI-related ethical and societal risks, and places an emphasis on ethical, explainable, and accountable AI. AICM strengthens this by expanding upon ISO 42001 requirements and including additional controls for:
   • Bias mitigation
   • Human oversight
   • Model transparency
   • Data governance
   • AI system lifecycle management  

5. Accelerates Operationalization of AI Governance
   For companies struggling with or looking to expand operational AI principles, the AICM provides a toolkit of 243 control objectives across 18 domains. The AICM reduces friction by providing a pre-mapped structure of the control objectives to ISO 42001 and allows for efficient gap assessments for organizations seeking ISO 42001 certification. 

6. Promotes Continuous Improvement
   Both AICM and ISO 42001 encourage governance through risk monitoring, feedback loops, and change management. The AICM further defines metrics and controls to allow for tracking of AI performance and risks and the creation of a feedback-based governance model. 

7. Builds Trust with Stakeholders
   Adopting the AICM provides a foundational layer of AI governance for organizations. It fosters a proactive approach to AI risk management and compliance and transparent governance to an organization’s customers, investors, regulators, and partners. 

How to Map the CSA AICM to ISO 42001 

1. Download the Latest AICM Package
   Access the most recent version of the AICM from the CSA website. It includes: 
   • The control matrix (243 controls across 18 domains) 
   • Mapping to ISO 42001 
   • The AI-CAIQ (questionnaire for internal/external assessments) 

2. Map AICM Controls to Your AI Systems
   Perform a gap analysis and identify which AICM controls are in place in your organization and highlight gaps that don’t meet AICM or ISO 42001 requirements  

3. Build or Enhance Your AI Management System (AIMS)
   Begin the journey! ISO 42001 is the leading management system standard for AI. Ensuring AI governance policies, documentation, roles and processes are in place is crucial, and the AICM helps to fill in any operational and technical gaps in the pursuit of an effective AIMS. 

4. Align AICM with Existing Frameworks
   The AICM integrates with widely known standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 AICM controls. Aligning the AICM with your compliance program allows for a unified approach and can ease the process to build your AI governance model and pursuit of ISO 42001 certification. 

5. Prepare for Assessment or Certification
   The AICM mapping to ISO 42001 can be used in a variety of ways to prepare for assessments and certifications. The mapping can be leveraged to create things such as: 
   • An internal audit checklist 
   • Utilized to conduct mock audits or self-assessments 
   • Compile evidence (policies, logs, reports) for each mapped control 

Moving Forward with CSA AICM Mapping 

The CSA AICM mapping can be used as the foundation to create an effective AI governance structure and pursuit of ISO 42001 certification. By thoroughly understanding the AICM controls and how they map to the ISO 42001 standard, you will be better prepared to foster a secure, and effective, AI model. 

If you’re ready to begin your ISO 42001 journey, Schellman can help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and we’ll get back to you shortly. In the meantime, to help understand some of ISO 42001’s other complexities and updates, check out our other content to ensure you’re much more prepared for certification:  

• ISO 42001: Frequently Asked Questions 
• Should You Get an ISO 42001 Gap Assessment?  
• Understanding Your AI Role in ISO 42001 Certification