Compliance Operations, Risk & Evidence β ISO 27001 Β· ISO 27701 Β· ISO 27017 Β· ISO 27018 Β· ISO 42001
Grows fast. Bends, doesn't break. Built to last. π
ISMS CORE is a production-grade control engineering platform for building and operating an information security management system. It treats compliance implementation as an engineering problem β not a consulting exercise.
New here? Read PARADIGM.md first β it explains how ISMS CORE differs from traditional ISMS approaches, how to choose between products, and what to expect.
ποΈ FrameworkFull SSE engineering product for mature security teams and consultants. Governance policies, implementation guides, assessment scripts, generated workbooks β one complete pack per control. 53 control packs Β· 93 Annex A controls |
β‘ OperationalFoundation ISMS for SMEs (10β500 people). Operational policies with single-sheet compliance checklists. No engineering overhead β read the policy, run the checklist, done. 53 control groups Β· 53 OP-POL docs |
π PrivacyPrivacy information management β controller, processor, and shared control groups for ISO 27701:2025. Pairs with Framework or Operational. 21 control groups Β· 23 PRIV-POL docs |
βοΈ CloudPII protection in public cloud β compliance checklists for cloud service providers processing PII on behalf of controllers. ISO 27018:2025 Annex A. 12 control groups Β· 12 CLD-POL docs |
π€ AIAI management system β governance policies covering AI development, deployment, impact assessment, responsible use, and third-party AI relationships. 12 AI control groups Β· 12 AI-POL policies |
π₯οΈ PlatformLive compliance management system β turns all content products into dashboards, gap tracking, evidence ingestion, risk registers, and audit reports. Docker Compose, 10 services, self-hosted. 44 connectors Β· 25 assessment modules Β· 3,433 crosswalk objects / 44 axes |
This is not a framework reference or a checklist template library. Every control pack ships production-ready artifacts you open, adapt, and issue.
| Artifact | Format | What it is | Who uses it | Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POL | Markdown | Governance policy document β what the control requires, who owns it, which standards apply. Set your org name, CISO, and effective date. Issue it. | ISMS Manager β Board / Staff | All five products |
| IMP-UG | Markdown | Implementation User Guide β how the ISMS Manager implements and operates the control. Roles, process steps, KPIs, review cycles. | ISMS Manager | Framework Β· Privacy Β· Cloud Β· AI |
| IMP-TG | Markdown | Implementation Technical Guide β step-by-step for the engineer. Commands, config snippets, vendor-specific notes, hardening checklists. | Security Engineer | Framework Β· Privacy Β· Cloud Β· AI |
| SCR | Python 3.11+ | Assessment generator β run python3 generate_*.py to produce a structured, formatted compliance evidence workbook. Single dependency: openpyxl. |
ISMS Manager β Auditor | All five products |
| WKBK | Excel (.xlsx) | Generated compliance workbook β per-control assessment items, evidence status, scoring, and auditor notes. Output of the SCR generator. Hand directly to your auditor. | Auditor / Control Owner | All five products |
| REF | Markdown | Reference extracts from the ISO standard text mapped to this control. Cross-references to adjacent and related Annex A controls. | ISMS Manager / Auditor | Framework |
| CTX | Markdown | Context document linking this control pack to adjacent and dependent control packs β for control stacking and dependency mapping. | ISMS Manager | Framework |
| FORM | Markdown | Ready-to-use templates: evidence collection forms, meeting agendas, approval records, risk acceptance forms. | ISMS Manager / Control Owner | Framework |
Example workflow β A.8.24 Use of Cryptography:
- Open
POL/β your organisation's cryptography policy, ready to sign and issue- Open
IMP/IMP-UG/β how to run a key management programme (KPIs, review cycle, ownership)- Open
IMP/IMP-TG/β TLS config, certificate lifecycle, HSM setup, vendor notes- Run
SCR/generate_a824_*.pyβ produces.xlsxassessment workbook- Hand the workbook to your auditor as structured compliance evidence
Prerequisites for generators: Python 3.11+, pip install openpyxl
This is for:
- Security teams building an ISMS wanting repeatable, auditable evidence
- Engineers who prefer automation + tests over "security theater"
- SMEs needing practical, audit-ready policies without over-engineering
- Organisations processing PII needing ISO 27701 controller/processor controls
- Cloud service providers needing ISO 27018 PII compliance
- Organisations developing AI systems needing ISO 42001 AIMS governance
- Consultants and auditors needing structured, traceable control packs
This is not for:
- "One-click compliance" expectations
- Legal interpretations of GDPR/DORA/NIS2 (use counsel)
- Running scripts you haven't reviewed (treat this like code)
Prerequisites: Python 3.11+, pip install openpyxl
# Browse the 53 control packs
cat isms-core-framework/CONTROLS.md
# Navigate to a control, read POL β IMP-UG β IMP-TG, then generate the workbook
cd isms-core-framework/A.8-technological-controls/isms-a.8.24-use-of-cryptography/SCR
python3 generate_a824_1_data_transmission_assessment.pycd isms-core-operational/A.5-organisational-controls/isms-a.5.1-2-information-security-policies/SCR
python3 generate_op_checklist_a512.pycd isms-core-privacy/privacy-controller/priv-a.1.2.2-5-lawful-basis-and-consent/SCR
python3 generate_priv_checklist_a1225.pycd isms-core-cloud/iso27018-pii-cloud/cld-a.11-information-security/SCR
python3 generate_cld_checklist_a11.py# Start with the AI governance foundation policy (available in EN, FR, DE, IT)
cat "isms-core-ai/00-ai-foundation-policies/ai-pol-01-aims-governance-and-decision-making/POL/AI-POL-01 - AIMS Governance and Decision-Making Framework.md"cd isms-core-platform
cp .env.example .env # Fill in HOST_IP, passwords, ADMIN_PASSWORD
docker compose up -d # COMPOSE_PROFILES=opensearch-single is set in .env.example
bash bootstrap.sh # One-shot: seeds all control groups, imports all content
# β Open https://{HOST_IP}Read PLATFORM.md for the full deployment guide, TLS options, connector setup, and Go-Live Checklist.
Show all 25+ framework integrations and crosswalk mappings
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself β and you are the easiest person to fool." β Richard Feynman
| Cargo Cult | ISMS CORE | |
|---|---|---|
| β | Impressive policies nobody reads | β Controls that actually work |
| β | Made-up compliance numbers | β Evidence that proves effectiveness |
| β | Security theater for audits | β Metrics that measure real security |
| β | PowerPoints instead of controls | β Automation that enforces compliance |
See PHILOSOPHY.md for the full methodology.
Every control pack undergoes a structured multi-stage validation before promotion to this repository:
ββββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β Claude Code ββββββΆβ ISMS QA Engine ββββββΆβ The ISMS Core β
β (Build + QA) β β Existence + Keyword + β β Project (Final) β
β β β Semantic 3-layer check β β β
ββββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββββββ
All 188 Framework generators, 53 Operational policies, 21 Privacy control groups, 12 Cloud control groups, and 12 AI control groups carry QA_VERIFIED markers confirming a full QA pass.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed QA standards.
See STRUCTURE.md for the complete repository map with per-folder and per-artifact-type explanations.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| PARADIGM.md | π§ Product overview and paradigm shift guide β start here |
| PLATFORM.md | π₯οΈ Platform architecture, features, and full deployment guide (includes Docker Compose quick-start) |
| STRUCTURE.md | π Repository map β all folders and artifact types explained |
| COMPLIANCE.md | π All 25 compliance assessment modules β coverage notes, gaps, audience |
| isms-core-framework/CONTROLS.md | π Framework control pack index (53 packs) |
| isms-core-framework/COVERAGE.md | πΊοΈ 93 Annex A controls β 53 pack mapping |
| isms-core-framework/STACKING.md | π Control grouping methodology |
| PHILOSOPHY.md | |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | π§ QA process and standards |
| SECURITY.md | π Vulnerability reporting policy |
- Vulnerability reporting: Report security issues to info@isms-core.com (subject: "ISMS CORE Security")
- Safe usage: Review scripts before execution. Run in a virtual environment. Treat generated artifacts as sensitive until proven otherwise.
- No secrets: Do not commit credentials, tokens, private keys, or customer data to this repository or to generated workbooks.
Dual-licensed:
- AGPL-3.0 for open-source use β see LICENSE
- Commercial license for organisations that cannot comply with AGPL obligations
Commercial licensing: info@isms-core.com
The ISMS Core Project
Copyright Β© 2025β2026 The ISMS Core Project. All rights reserved.
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