CNETS · Melbourne & Australia
ISO 42001 certification & consulting
AI Management System
ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS). It helps organisations developing, providing or using AI manage responsibilities, risks and impacts throughout the AI lifecycle. CNETS helps turn an AI policy into an operating governance system, with a path to independent certification.
Implementation and audit preparation by CNETS. Certification decisions by an independent certification body.
The business case
Why invest in ISO 42001?
An AI policy says what is allowed. An AIMS establishes who approves AI use, how risks are assessed, what evidence is kept and how decisions are reviewed. That distinction matters when employees use public generative AI tools, suppliers introduce AI features or your products make AI-assisted decisions.
Responsible AI is not only a security question. Accuracy, bias, transparency, human oversight and impacts on individuals also need consideration. The level of governance should reflect your role, the intended use and the potential consequences, not simply the size of your business.
Built for your organisation
Organisations developing, providing or using AI systems.
- Assess AI risks and impacts
- Clarify approved AI use
- Align AI and security governance
- Build evidence of responsible practice
Scope & requirements
What does ISO 42001 cover?
Scope comes first. The work should reflect your operations, risks and assurance requirements.
AI inventory and ownership
Identify AI tools, systems and use cases, including supplier-provided AI. Record purpose, accountable owners, users, data and approval status.
AI risk and impact assessment
Evaluate risks to the organisation and potential impacts on people and society. Consider misuse, errors, bias, privacy, intellectual property and the context of deployment.
Lifecycle governance
Define review gates for selecting, developing, testing, deploying, monitoring and changing AI systems, with responsibilities appropriate to your role.
Data and supplier controls
Review data suitability, access, retention and permitted use. Evaluate supplier responsibilities, contractual terms and the information needed to make informed decisions.
People and oversight
Set acceptable-use boundaries, escalation paths, competence requirements and human-review responsibilities. Measure understanding rather than relying only on a published policy.
Practical outputs
What we work on with you
The proposal confirms the deliverables and responsibilities for your engagement.
- AIMS scope and AI use-case inventory
- AI policy, responsibilities and approval workflow
- AI risk treatment and impact-assessment records
- Supplier and lifecycle review criteria
- Training, acknowledgement and knowledge-check plan
- Monitoring, incident escalation and internal-audit arrangements
Before we begin
What helps us scope the work
You do not need everything ready to start a conversation. Existing material helps us avoid duplicating work.
- AI tools your staff use or want to use
- AI capabilities in products and supplier services
- Existing AI, security, privacy and acceptable-use policies
- Data types involved, use-case owners and customer expectations
Choose with clarity
An AI policy is the start, not the whole system
- Direction
- AI policy only
States permitted and prohibited behaviour.
- AI management system
Connects the policy to ownership, approvals and operating procedures.
- Risk
- AI policy only
May list general concerns without a repeatable assessment.
- AI management system
Records use-case risks, impacts, treatment decisions and reviews.
- People
- AI policy only
Publishing a document does not establish understanding.
- AI management system
Uses communication, competence checks and evidence of participation.
- Change
- AI policy only
Can become outdated as tools and use cases change.
- AI management system
Reviews changes, monitors outcomes and drives corrective action.
From assessment to action
How CNETS approaches ISO 42001
- 01
Discover AI use
Identify systems, tools, stakeholders and the role your organisation plays.
- 02
Assess risks and impacts
Prioritise use cases and document decisions before approving wider adoption.
- 03
Integrate governance
Align AI responsibilities and procedures with security, privacy and existing management systems.
- 04
Embed and review
Train people, operate approval workflows and gather evidence through monitoring and internal review.
- 05
Assess readiness
Address gaps and prepare for independent certification if that is your chosen objective.
Keep the work effective after delivery
AI governance must change when models, suppliers, data or intended uses change. Review incidents, unexpected outputs, complaints and monitoring results. A controlled pilot can help establish evidence before an AI use case is expanded across the business.
Our proprietary platform
Checkmate
Connect the work. Keep the evidence.
Checkmate can support a shared direction for your AIMS and ISMS through connected policies, responsibilities and evidence. Policy acknowledgement and knowledge checks help employees understand AI boundaries. Any monitoring integration must be validated against the tools, endpoints and channels in scope; no platform should be assumed to block every unapproved AI use.
Checkmate.
One connected view. From implementation to your next audit.
Policies & evidence
A single source of truth.
People & ownership
Clear responsibilities.
Risks & controls
A connected management system.
How Checkmate supports your ISO 42001 program
AI controls and ownership
Track the AI management control set, implementation status, owners and supporting evidence.
AI-specific risks
Record risks around bias, transparency, accountability and robustness with treatment decisions and review dates.
Policy approval and learning
Review and version AI policies, collect acknowledgement and check employee understanding.
Implementation and assurance
Follow a phased roadmap and organise AIMS documents and risk records for auditor review.
Straight answers
ISO 42001: your questions answered
- Who needs ISO 42001?
The standard is relevant to organisations that develop, provide or use AI systems. It is particularly useful when AI affects customers, sensitive data or important business decisions, or when customers want evidence of responsible AI governance.
- Why is an AI policy not enough?
A policy alone does not establish an inventory, risk and impact assessments, approval owners, training evidence, monitoring or corrective action. An AIMS supplies the repeatable processes that put the policy into practice and keep it current.
- Can ISO 42001 be integrated with ISO 27001?
Yes. Shared management-system elements such as document control, competence, internal audit and management review can be coordinated. AI-specific risks and impacts still need dedicated assessment; an existing ISMS does not automatically satisfy ISO 42001.
- Do we need to build AI to use ISO 42001?
No. Organisations using third-party AI can apply the standard. Responsibilities and controls should reflect whether you develop, provide or use the system and how much influence you have over its lifecycle.
- Can we implement an AIMS without seeking certification?
Yes. You can use the requirements to establish a structured governance system before deciding whether independent certification is commercially worthwhile. Implementation and certification are separate decisions.
- Does ISO 42001 certification prove an AI model is safe or legally compliant?
It assesses the management system within its defined scope, not a guarantee that every output is accurate, unbiased or lawful. Product testing, human oversight and an assessment of applicable legal duties remain necessary.
Connected expertise
ISO 27001
Protect sensitive information with a risk-based security management system.
Awareness Training
Turn your workforce into a human firewall with continuous training and phishing simulations.
VAPT
Assess exploitable weaknesses in applications, APIs, networks and cloud.
Standards & further reading
General guidance, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your scope and the applicable standard edition. Confirm certification and assessment arrangements for your organisation.
Next step
Your next step starts
with a conversation.
Tell us where you want to go. We’ll help you understand what it takes to get there.