The CISO's Guide to ISO 42001

ISO/IEC 42001 is the "ISO 27001 for AI". It is the first international management system standard for Artificial Intelligence. Here is how to prepare your organization.

What is ISO 42001?

Released in December 2023, ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS).

Just as ISO 27001 became the gold standard for information security, ISO 42001 is rapidly becoming the benchmark for responsible AI governance.

Key Components of ISO 42001

The standard is structured similarly to other ISO management systems (High Level Structure), making it easy to integrate with ISO 27001.

1. Context of the Organization

You must determine internal and external issues relevant to your AI strategy and identify the needs of interested parties (stakeholders, regulators, customers).

2. AI Risk Assessment

Unlike general IT risks, AI risks are probabilistic. You must assess:

• Fairness: Is the model biased against protected groups?
• Explainability: Can you interpret the model's decisions?
• Robustness: Is the model resilient to adversarial attacks?

3. AI System Impact Assessment

For high-risk AI systems, you must assess the potential impact on individuals and society. This mirrors the "Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment" in the EU AI Act.

Annex A: AI Controls

ISO 42001 provides a set of controls in Annex A (A.1 to A.10) to treat identified risks. Key areas include:

• A.5 Data for AI Systems: Ensuring data quality, provenance, and bias mitigation.
• A.6 Development Lifecycle: Secure design, coding, and testing of AI models.
• A.9 AI System Use: Guidelines for responsible deployment and user transparency.

How Railguard Accelerates Certification

Railguard AI provides the technical controls and evidence collection needed for ISO 42001 certification.