ASSURANCE READINESS

Technology Governance & Certification Support

We prepare organizations for independent inspections, assessments, and certifications through governance frameworks, evidence planning, and operational discipline.

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01 Services

Readiness & Preparation

Supporting organizations through technology inspections, management system assessments, and certification audits.

SVC_IR

Inspection Readiness

Prepare for third-party technology inspections with evidence validation and gap remediation.

  • Evidence preparation
  • Internal simulations
  • Gap analysis
▾
Focus: Preparing for third-party inspections where an inspector validates evidence against defined criteria. The work centres on evidence validation and operational proof — confirming controls are implemented, records exist and are complete, and responsibilities and escalation paths are clear.
  • Inspection evidence pack
  • Validated control-to-evidence map
  • Remediation actions for identified gaps
SVC_AR

Assessment Readiness

Internal assessments and gap analysis against ISO management system requirements.

  • Control maturity reviews
  • Policy development
  • Pre-assessment support
▾
Focus: Internal or pre-external evaluation of how well the organization aligns with management system requirements. Work includes control maturity reviews, policy and procedure development, role clarity, and management system structuring.
  • Gap assessment report
  • Prioritized remediation plan
  • Draft management system with supporting documentation
SVC_IA

Internal Audit Support

Establish and execute internal audit programs required before certification.

  • Audit program design
  • Auditor training
  • Audit scheduling frameworks
▾
Focus: Building and running the internal audit program required before certification body engagement. Certification bodies look for evidence of a functioning internal audit program at Stage 1 — without it, you are not ready for Stage 2.
  • Audit program design — scope, frequency, criteria
  • Auditor competency development
  • Annual audit plans and resource allocation
  • Findings management and corrective action tracking
  • Management review input for leadership reporting
SVC_CR

Certification Readiness

Structured preparation for independent certification audits across ISO standards.

  • Stage 1 & 2 preparation
  • Evidence traceability
  • CB selection (17021-1 aware)
▾
Focus: Structured preparation for independent certification audits, aligned to Stage 1 and Stage 2 expectations. Stage 1 focuses on documentation completeness; Stage 2 focuses on operational effectiveness and evidence that the system is working in practice.
  • Stage 1 documentation pack
  • Stage 2 evidence set
  • Audit interview preparation and readiness simulations
  • CB selection support (ISO/IEC 17021-1 aware)
SVC_GR

Governance & Risk

Technology governance frameworks aligned with regulatory requirements.

  • Governance design
  • Risk frameworks
  • Accountability structures
▾
Focus: Establishing who is accountable for technology decisions, how risk is identified and managed, and how oversight is performed at leadership level. Connects operational technology controls to leadership accountability and regulatory expectations.
  • Governance operating model
  • Risk framework and tolerance definition
  • Committee terms of reference
  • Role accountability matrix
  • Executive dashboards for ongoing oversight
02 Standards

Technology Management Systems

Readiness support aligned with international standards and Canadian regulatory frameworks.

Cybersecurity & Information Security −

ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management
ISO/IEC 27701 Privacy Information Management
ISO/IEC 27017 Cloud Services Security
ISO/IEC 27018 PII Protection in Public Cloud
ISO/IEC 27035 Incident Management
ISO/IEC 27005 Information Security Risk Management
ISO/IEC 27031 ICT Readiness for Business Continuity
ISO/IEC 27002 Information Security Controls
ISO/IEC 27036 Supplier Relationship Security

IT Service & Digital Operations −

ISO/IEC 20000-1 IT Service Management
ISO/IEC 19770-1 IT Asset Management
ISO/IEC 38500 Governance of IT

Business Continuity & Organizational Resilience −

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management
ISO 22316 Organizational Resilience
ISO 31000 Enterprise Risk Management

Compliance & Integrated Management Systems −

ISO 37301 Compliance Management
IMS Advisory Integrated Management System
Multi-Standard Harmonization & Certification

Canadian Programs −

CyberSecure Canada Baseline Cybersecurity Certification
CPCSC Higher Assurance Federal Cybersecurity Certification
ITSG-33 Federal IT Security Control Framework

Framework Interoperability −

NIST CSF Cybersecurity Framework Alignment
NIST AI RMF AI Risk Management Framework Mapping

AI Governance & Canadian Regulation

Preparing for Canada's evolving AI governance landscape and federal regulatory requirements.

EMERGING

ISO/IEC 42001 AIMS

AI Management System design and implementation readiness for the international standard.

  • AI risk classification frameworks
  • Lifecycle governance controls
  • Responsible AI documentation

ISO/IEC 23894

AI risk management guidance for identifying, assessing, and mitigating AI-specific risks.

  • Algorithmic impact assessments
  • Bias and fairness evaluation
  • Model governance protocols

ISO/IEC 38507

Governance implications of AI for organizational decision-making and oversight.

  • AI ethics committees
  • Human oversight mechanisms
  • Stakeholder frameworks

ISO/IEC 22989

AI concepts and terminology foundation for organizational AI literacy.

  • AI taxonomy alignment
  • Terminology standardization
  • Cross-team AI literacy

ISO/IEC 23053

Framework for AI system lifecycle, from design through deployment and decommissioning.

  • AI pipeline architecture
  • Model training & validation stages
  • Deployment & monitoring controls

AIDA Readiness

Preparation for Canada's Artificial Intelligence and Data Act requirements.

  • High-impact system assessment
  • Transparency measures
  • Regulatory compliance planning

CPCSC

Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification readiness and alignment.

  • Certification pathway planning
  • Control mapping & gap analysis
  • Federal compliance readiness
03 Process

Structured Readiness Approach

A systematic, phase-based methodology for successful assessment outcomes.

Phase 01

Discovery & Scoping

Technology landscape review, regulatory exposure identification, and target inspection or certification objectives.

Phase 02

Gap & Risk Analysis

Control maturity assessment, evidence gap identification, and governance accountability review.

Phase 03

Design & Remediation

Policy and control development, governance model implementation, and workflow optimization.

Phase 04

Readiness Validation

Internal assessments, evidence traceability testing, and management sign-off preparation.

Phase 05

External Engagement

Preparation for third-party inspection or audit, leadership briefing, and post-assessment remediation.

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Welcome to Ascio.
We support organizations preparing for technology inspections, ISO management system assessments, and AI governance readiness in Canada.

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