How to use ISMS Copilot with CISO Assistant

Overview

CISO Assistant is a powerful open-source GRC platform that provides pragmatic cyber security posture management with explicit decoupling of compliance from implementation. Supporting over 100 frameworks including NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIS2, GDPR, and many more, CISO Assistant offers flexible deployment (cloud or self-hosted), comprehensive audit management, risk assessment capabilities, and framework auto-mapping through NIST OLIR standards. ISMS Copilot complements CISO Assistant by providing specialized compliance expertise for framework interpretation, policy customization, control implementation guidance, and strategic decision-making that goes beyond platform workflows.

Who This Is For

This guide is for:

• Security teams using CISO Assistant who need expert guidance on implementing controls and interpreting framework requirements

• Organizations leveraging CISO Assistant's open-source flexibility who want AI assistance for custom framework creation and mapping

• CISOs managing compliance programs in CISO Assistant who need strategic advice on framework selection and scope definition

• Teams using CISO Assistant's self-hosted deployment who want private, on-demand compliance expertise without external consultants

How CISO Assistant and ISMS Copilot Work Together

What CISO Assistant Does Best

CISO Assistant excels as an operational GRC platform with a pragmatic, methodology-agnostic approach:

• 100+ framework support: Pre-loaded with major compliance frameworks (ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, CIS Controls, PCI DSS, NIS2, CMMC, GDPR, HIPAA, Essential Eight, DORA, NIST AI RMF, and many more) ready to use immediately

• Framework auto-mapping: Leverages NIST OLIR standard for automatic control mapping and crosswalks between frameworks, dramatically reducing redundant work when managing multiple certifications

• Decoupled compliance model: Explicitly separates compliance assessment from security implementation, allowing you to assess against standards while maintaining flexibility in how you implement controls

• Flexible deployment: True open-source solution deployable on-premises or in cloud, with no vendor lock-in—start with community edition and migrate freely

• Comprehensive risk assessment: Methodology-agnostic risk module with EBIOS RM support, Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ), Business Impact Analysis, and multiple risk methodologies

• Audit management: Multi-framework audit capabilities with centralized evidence management, scoring, maturity assessment, and reporting across all compliance activities

• Productivity features: Built-in analytics, collaboration workflows, automatic sanity checks, scoring assistant, control auto-suggestion, and remediation tracking integrated with Jira

• Custom framework support: Bring your own frameworks using simplified Domain-Specific Language (DSL), enabling compliance with proprietary customer requirements

• API-first architecture: RESTful API and CLI for automation, data extraction, integration with existing tools, and custom workflow development

• Third-party risk management (TPRM): Capture vendor compliance directly in the platform using audit capabilities for comprehensive supply chain risk visibility

• Privacy and incident modules: GDPR processing documentation, incident tracking with timeline management, and integrated action planning

• Import/export flexibility: Multiple data formats supported to avoid lock-in and enable easy migration from other tools

Where ISMS Copilot Adds Value

ISMS Copilot complements CISO Assistant's operational excellence with deep compliance expertise for interpretation and strategic guidance:

1. Framework Interpretation and Requirement Clarity

CISO Assistant provides frameworks; ISMS Copilot helps you understand what they actually require:

• Requirement interpretation: "In CISO Assistant, I'm assessing against ISO 27001 A.8.24 'Use of cryptography.' What specific encryption standards and implementation approaches satisfy this control?"

• Control applicability: "Which NIST CSF subcategories are genuinely applicable to a cloud-native SaaS company with no physical infrastructure?"

• Framework nuance understanding: "CISO Assistant maps SOC 2 CC6.1 to ISO 27001 A.9.2.1. What are the subtle differences in auditor expectations between these controls?"

• Maturity level guidance: "I'm scoring controls in CISO Assistant. What distinguishes maturity level 3 from level 4 for access control implementation?"

2. Custom Framework Development

CISO Assistant allows custom frameworks; ISMS Copilot helps you design them correctly:

• Framework structure design: "I need to create a custom framework in CISO Assistant for a customer's proprietary security requirements. How should I structure controls and organize requirements?"

• Mapping creation: "How should I map our custom customer framework to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 in CISO Assistant to demonstrate coverage?"

• Control completeness: "Review this custom framework DSL I created for CISO Assistant. What essential security controls am I missing?"

• Industry-specific frameworks: "I need to build a healthcare-specific framework combining HIPAA Security Rule, NIST CSF, and ISO 27001. What's the optimal structure?"

3. Control Implementation Guidance

CISO Assistant tracks implementation; ISMS Copilot advises how to implement effectively:

• Technical implementation: "CISO Assistant shows I need to implement access reviews for ISO 27001. What specific process should I establish, and what evidence should I collect?"

• Tool selection: "Which vulnerability scanning tools meet both NIST CSF PR.IP-12 and ISO 27001 A.12.6.1 requirements tracked in CISO Assistant?"

• Control effectiveness: "I've implemented logging per CISO Assistant recommendations. How can I demonstrate this control is actually effective, not just documented?"

• Compensating controls: "We can't implement MFA on a legacy system. How should I design compensating controls that CISO Assistant can track for compliance?"

4. Risk Assessment Deep-Dive

CISO Assistant provides risk workflows; ISMS Copilot helps you make better risk decisions:

• Scenario identification: "I'm conducting a risk assessment in CISO Assistant for a B2B SaaS company. What are typical threat scenarios I should evaluate?"

• Risk quantification: "For CRQ in CISO Assistant, how should I estimate probability and impact for a ransomware scenario affecting our production environment?"

• Risk treatment decisions: "CISO Assistant shows several medium risks. How should I decide between risk acceptance, mitigation, transfer, or avoidance?"

• EBIOS RM guidance: "I'm using CISO Assistant's EBIOS RM module. What specific outputs should Workshop 3 (strategic scenarios) produce for a fintech company?"

5. Multi-Framework Strategy and Optimization

CISO Assistant manages multiple frameworks; ISMS Copilot helps you strategize effectively:

• Framework selection: "CISO Assistant supports 100+ frameworks. For enterprise healthcare customers, should I pursue ISO 27001, SOC 2, HITRUST, or HIPAA first?"

• Mapping optimization: "How can I leverage CISO Assistant's auto-mapping to minimize redundant work between ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIS2 certifications?"

• Scope definition: "I'm defining compliance scope in CISO Assistant. Should we certify our entire organization or limit scope to customer-facing systems?"

• Timeline planning: "Using CISO Assistant, what's a realistic timeline for achieving ISO 27001 certification from scratch with a 5-person team?"

6. Evidence Quality and Audit Preparation

CISO Assistant centralizes evidence; ISMS Copilot helps ensure it's audit-ready:

• Evidence adequacy: "I've uploaded evidence to CISO Assistant for quarterly access reviews. What additional documentation might ISO 27001 auditors request?"

• Audit readiness validation: "Review my CISO Assistant audit assessment for SOC 2. Are there gaps where auditors typically find insufficient evidence?"

• Mock audit scenarios: "Generate 20 likely ISO 27001 Stage 2 audit questions focusing on controls I've marked as implemented in CISO Assistant"

• Auditor question interpretation: "The auditor asked about our 'risk treatment plan.' What are they looking for, and what CISO Assistant data should I reference?"

7. Policy and Documentation Enhancement

CISO Assistant organizes documentation; ISMS Copilot improves quality:

• Policy completeness: Upload policy and ask: "Review this Information Security Policy for ISO 27001 compliance. What sections are missing or need more detail?"

• Industry-specific requirements: "I'm creating policies for CISO Assistant's document library. What additional requirements should a fintech company include beyond standard ISO 27001 templates?"

• Multi-framework alignment: "How should I structure a single Incident Response Policy in CISO Assistant that satisfies ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIS2 simultaneously?"

• Procedure depth: "This policy in CISO Assistant covers what we must do, but lacks operational procedures. What step-by-step detail should I add?"

8. Operational GRC Guidance

CISO Assistant enables operational GRC; ISMS Copilot provides strategic context:

• Decoupling strategy: "CISO Assistant decouples compliance from implementation. How should I structure our security program to maximize this flexibility?"

• Continuous compliance: "What processes should I establish to maintain compliance between annual audits using CISO Assistant's periodic task features?"

• Remediation prioritization: "CISO Assistant tracks 25 open remediation items linked to Jira. How should I prioritize these for maximum compliance and security impact?"

• Program maturity: "Based on CISO Assistant's maturity scoring, where should we focus effort to move from maturity level 2 to level 3?"

Common Workflows Combining Both Tools

Workflow 1: Multi-Framework Compliance Setup

Scenario: Setting up ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance simultaneously in CISO Assistant.

1. In ISMS Copilot: Strategic planning: "We need both ISO 27001 and SOC 2. What are the key differences in requirements, and which should we pursue first?"

2. In ISMS Copilot: Understand overlap: "How much control overlap exists between ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2? Where can I reuse work?"

3. In CISO Assistant: Create perimeters for both frameworks, leverage auto-mapping to identify overlapping controls

4. In ISMS Copilot: Gap identification: "Based on the CISO Assistant mapping, what ISO 27001 controls require additional implementation beyond SOC 2?"

5. In CISO Assistant: Configure audits for both frameworks, track implementation status with unified evidence repository

6. In CISO Assistant: Use maturity scoring and analytics to monitor progress across both frameworks

Workflow 2: Custom Framework Development

Scenario: Creating a custom framework for a major customer's proprietary security requirements.

1. Analysis: Receive customer's proprietary security questionnaire or requirements

2. In ISMS Copilot: Structure design: "I need to create a custom framework in CISO Assistant for these customer requirements. How should I organize controls and create logical groupings?"

3. In ISMS Copilot: Mapping guidance: "Which ISO 27001 and SOC 2 controls map to each customer requirement? How can I demonstrate coverage?"

4. In CISO Assistant: Build custom framework using DSL based on ISMS Copilot's structure recommendations

5. In CISO Assistant: Create mappings to existing frameworks to show coverage and avoid duplicate work

6. In CISO Assistant: Conduct audit against custom framework, leveraging evidence from ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits

Workflow 3: Risk Assessment Execution

Scenario: Conducting comprehensive risk assessment using CISO Assistant's risk module.

1. In ISMS Copilot: Scenario identification: "What are typical cyber risk scenarios for a B2B SaaS company that I should assess in CISO Assistant?"

2. In CISO Assistant: Create risk assessment project, define scope and methodology

3. In ISMS Copilot: Quantification guidance: "For ransomware risk in CISO Assistant's CRQ module, how should I estimate probability and financial impact?"

4. In CISO Assistant: Document threats, vulnerabilities, and existing controls for each scenario

5. In ISMS Copilot: Treatment decisions: "For each risk level in CISO Assistant, what's the appropriate treatment strategy—accept, mitigate, transfer, or avoid?"

6. In CISO Assistant: Track remediation actions, link to Jira tickets, monitor risk reduction over time

Workflow 4: Audit Preparation and Execution

Scenario: Preparing for ISO 27001 certification audit.

1. In CISO Assistant: Review compliance dashboard, identify controls marked as not implemented or partially implemented

2. In ISMS Copilot: Control understanding: "For ISO 27001 A.16.1.2 (incident responsibilities), what evidence do certification auditors typically expect?"

3. In CISO Assistant: Upload evidence for all controls, organize by framework requirement

4. In ISMS Copilot: Mock audit: "Generate 25 likely ISO 27001 Stage 2 audit questions for a cloud-native company"

5. Practice responses: Use ISMS Copilot to refine answers and understand what auditors are really asking

6. In CISO Assistant: Generate audit reports, export evidence packages, grant auditor read-only access if using cloud instance

Workflow 5: Policy Development and Review

Scenario: Creating comprehensive compliance policies.

1. In ISMS Copilot: Requirements analysis: "What policies are required for ISO 27001:2022 certification?"

2. In ISMS Copilot: Industry customization: "For a fintech company, what additional requirements should our Information Security Policy include beyond standard ISO 27001?"

3. Draft policies: Create policy documents based on ISMS Copilot guidance

4. In ISMS Copilot: Quality review: Upload policy and ask: "Review this Access Control Policy for ISO 27001 compliance. What's missing or needs enhancement?"

5. In CISO Assistant: Upload finalized policies to governance module, link to relevant framework controls

6. In CISO Assistant: Track policy approval workflows, version control, and periodic review schedules

Practical Examples

Example 1: Framework Auto-Mapping Validation

Situation: CISO Assistant auto-mapped ISO 27001 to SOC 2, and you want to understand the differences.

Ask ISMS Copilot: "CISO Assistant mapped ISO 27001 A.9.4.3 to SOC 2 CC6.1. Both address privileged access management, but what are the specific differences in what auditors expect for each framework?"

ISMS Copilot guidance: Explains that SOC 2 emphasizes continuous monitoring and automated controls for service delivery, while ISO 27001 focuses on documented procedures and periodic reviews. Clarifies that you may need different evidence types for each audit despite the control overlap.

Example 2: Custom Framework Creation

Situation: Building a customer-specific framework in CISO Assistant.

Ask ISMS Copilot: "I'm creating a custom framework in CISO Assistant for a major enterprise customer's security questionnaire. It has 85 questions across 12 categories. How should I structure this as a framework with logical control groupings?"

ISMS Copilot guidance: Recommends organizing by security domains (e.g., Access Control, Data Protection, Incident Response), provides control numbering scheme, explains how to map customer questions to existing ISO 27001 and SOC 2 controls to demonstrate coverage.

Example 3: Risk Quantification

Situation: Using CISO Assistant's CRQ module for the first time.

Ask ISMS Copilot: "I'm quantifying ransomware risk in CISO Assistant's CRQ module. How should I estimate annual loss expectancy for a SaaS company with $10M ARR and 50 employees?"

ISMS Copilot guidance: Walks through estimating probability (industry baseline: 0.5-1% for SMBs), potential losses (ransom payment, downtime costs, customer churn, recovery costs), and provides ranges for CISO Assistant's distribution inputs.

Example 4: Evidence Adequacy Assessment

Situation: Validating evidence quality before audit.

Ask ISMS Copilot: "In CISO Assistant, I've uploaded our quarterly access review spreadsheets as evidence for ISO 27001 A.9.2.5. Is this sufficient, or what additional documentation might auditors request?"

ISMS Copilot guidance: Identifies that auditors also typically want to see the access review procedure document, evidence of management approval for exceptions, and proof that identified issues were remediated. Explains what makes evidence "audit-quality."

When to Use Each Tool

Integration Best Practices

1. Leverage Open-Source Flexibility with Expert Guidance

• Understand before customizing: Use ISMS Copilot to understand framework requirements before customizing CISO Assistant frameworks or mappings

• Validate custom frameworks: Ask ISMS Copilot to review custom framework structures before implementing in CISO Assistant's DSL

• Optimize self-hosted deployment: Use ISMS Copilot for compliance architecture decisions that affect how you deploy and configure CISO Assistant

2. Maximize Framework Auto-Mapping Value

• Understand mappings: Don't blindly trust auto-mapping—use ISMS Copilot to understand nuances between mapped controls

• Identify gaps: Ask ISMS Copilot what requirements exist in Framework A that aren't fully covered by Framework B despite mapping

• Evidence strategy: Use ISMS Copilot to understand when you can reuse evidence across mapped controls vs. when framework-specific evidence is required

3. Enhance Risk Assessment Quality

• Scenario development: Use ISMS Copilot to identify relevant threat scenarios before creating risk assessments in CISO Assistant

• Quantification support: Get guidance on estimating probability and impact for CISO Assistant's CRQ module

• Treatment validation: Ask ISMS Copilot whether your planned risk treatments adequately address threats identified in CISO Assistant

4. Build Audit-Ready Evidence

• Quality over quantity: Use ISMS Copilot to understand what makes evidence audit-quality before uploading to CISO Assistant

• Gap identification: Ask ISMS Copilot what manual evidence auditors typically request that CISO Assistant workflows don't automatically capture

• Pre-audit validation: Review evidence with ISMS Copilot before audits to ensure adequacy and completeness

5. Organize Framework-Specific Work

• In CISO Assistant: Use perimeters to organize different compliance scopes, products, or divisions

• In ISMS Copilot: Create framework-specific workspaces ("Company - ISO 27001," "Company - SOC 2") for focused guidance

• Cross-reference: When ISMS Copilot provides implementation guidance, track execution and evidence in CISO Assistant

Cost and Resource Considerations

Investment Overview

• CISO Assistant: Free community edition for self-hosting, with PRO and SaaS plans for additional features and support

• ISMS Copilot: Specialized compliance AI starting at $20/month individual or team plans for organizations

Combined Value Proposition

Organizations using both CISO Assistant and ISMS Copilot report:

• Reduced external consultant dependency: Handle complex framework questions in-house instead of hiring consultants at $150-300/hour

• Better custom framework quality: Design customer-specific frameworks correctly the first time with expert guidance

• Enhanced risk assessment: More accurate risk quantification and treatment decisions with specialized expertise

• Faster multi-framework implementation: Understand overlaps and gaps quickly, avoiding redundant work

• Higher audit success rate: Better preparation and evidence quality reduces audit findings and delays

• Maximized open-source value: Get the flexibility of open-source CISO Assistant plus expert guidance typically requiring paid consultants

Limitations and Boundaries

What This Combination Doesn't Replace

• External auditors: You still need independent auditors for SOC 2, ISO 27001 certification, and third-party assessments

• Executive ownership: Leadership must own compliance strategy, risk appetite decisions, and resource allocation

• Legal expertise: Complex regulatory interpretation may require compliance attorneys

• Technical implementation: Both tools provide guidance and tracking, but your team implements controls

• Automated evidence collection: CISO Assistant doesn't automatically collect evidence like some commercial GRC platforms—you must upload it manually or via API

When You Might Still Need Consultants

• First-time certifications: Organizations pursuing first ISO 27001 or SOC 2 often benefit from consultant guidance

• Complex implementations: Large enterprises with varied business units may need specialized implementation support

• Industry-specific nuances: Highly regulated industries may require specialized consultants familiar with sector-specific expectations

• Custom development: Extensive CISO Assistant customization or API integration may require development consulting

Getting Started

If You're Already Using CISO Assistant

1. Identify knowledge gaps: What framework requirements or audit questions leave you uncertain?

2. Try requirement interpretation: Pick a complex control from your CISO Assistant audit and ask ISMS Copilot to explain what it really requires

3. Validate mappings: Ask ISMS Copilot to explain the nuances between auto-mapped controls to ensure you understand differences

4. Prepare for audit: Use ISMS Copilot to generate mock audit questions for frameworks you're assessing in CISO Assistant

5. Evaluate value: Track how often ISMS Copilot provides expertise that would otherwise require consultant time or research

If You're Evaluating Both Tools

1. Start with CISO Assistant: Deploy CISO Assistant (community edition or cloud trial) to get operational GRC infrastructure

2. Add ISMS Copilot for expertise: Layer on ISMS Copilot for framework interpretation, strategic planning, and quality assurance

3. Define integration workflow: Establish when you use each tool—CISO Assistant for operations, ISMS Copilot for expertise and decision support

What's Next

• Welcome to ISMS Copilot - Get started with ISMS Copilot

• Organizing Work with Workspaces - Create framework-specific workspaces for organized guidance

• How to Create ISO 27001 Policies Using AI - Enhance policies managed in CISO Assistant

• How to Conduct ISO 27001 Gap Analysis Using ISMS Copilot - Supplement CISO Assistant audits with detailed gap analysis

• How to Prepare for SOC 2 Audit Using ISMS Copilot - Prepare for audits tracked in CISO Assistant

Getting Help

Questions about using ISMS Copilot alongside CISO Assistant?

• Contact ISMS Copilot support for guidance on integrating AI expertise with CISO Assistant workflows

• Join the ISMS Copilot community to connect with other compliance professionals using both tools

• Visit the CISO Assistant Discord community to learn from other users combining these tools

• Check the Help Center for workflow templates and integration best practices