TAMPA, Fla. – (November 10, 2026) – A-LIGN, a leading provider in cybersecurity compliance, today announced a strategic partnership with Cranium AI, an AI security and governance platform. Together, this partnership gives security and compliance leaders a vendor-level view of AI governance gaps and the certification to require for each, so vendor posture rests on independent audit, not self-reported answers.   

Through this partnership, Cranium provides organizations with visibility into which of their vendors use AI, how well they follow governance standards, and the risk. A-LIGN maps those gaps across relevant frameworks such as ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 42001, and SOC 2, identifies where a certification would strengthen a vendor’s posture, and delivers it through its accredited audit practice.  

This enables clients to identify gaps across their entire vendor ecosystem and requires vendors to earn the certification that closes them. 

“Security and compliance leaders can’t govern AI risk they can’t see, and most still rely on vendors’ self-reported answers,” stated Andrew Steioff, SVP, Global Partnerships & Business Development at A-LIGN. “Together, Cranium and A-LIGN show customers which vendors use AI and where those vendors fall short. A-LIGN then maps each gap to the required certification, based upon certification criteria, so vendor posture is backed by an independent audit. That gives CISOs and risk teams proof they can take to regulators, customers, and their board.” 

Enterprises are deploying AI faster than they can inventory or govern it. Regulations like the EU AI Act are making AI governance more prominent, and many prospective customers are asking hard questions about how AI is governed before signing a contract. However, most organizations still rely on questionnaires and point-in-time evidence collection to assess third-party AI risk. 

“Enterprises need to know which vendors use AI and what risk that creates,” said Felix Knoll, COO/CRO & Co-Founder at Cranium AI. “Pairing our platform’s visibility with A-LIGN’s accredited certification gives security leaders a clear next step for every gap we surface.” 

The joint offering helps security and compliance leaders: 

• Size their AI blast radius. Vendors, SaaS platforms, and APIs send data into systems the enterprise does not control. The partnership identifies which ones use AI, so teams know where to focus first. 

• Raise vendor posture with proof. When vendors earn certification through an accredited, independent audit, attestations replace self-reported answers and hold up with regulators, customers, and boards. 

• Turn vendor AI gaps into AI governance. Cranium surfaces where vendors fall short, and A-LIGN’s framework mapping shows which certification to require to close each gap. 

To learn more about our partnership and how A-LIGN can support your organization’s AI governance approach, visit: https://www.a-lign.com/service/ai-governance-hub.  

About Cranium AI

Cranium AI is the leading end-to-end AI Security and Governance platform, helping enterprises secure and govern their AI across the full model lifecycle. Headquartered in the New York metropolitan area, Cranium AI is committed to the mission of making AI safe and trustworthy for everyone, driven by a team of “Craniacs” who are redefining the standards for AI excellence with value realization. 

For more information, visit www.cranium.ai or follow us on LinkedIn. 

About A-LIGN

A-LIGN is the leading cybersecurity compliance partner, trusted by over 6,400 organizations worldwide to navigate the complexities of compliance, audit, and risk. With a tech-enabled delivery model and deep domain expertise, A-LIGN has completed more than 36,000 audits. It is the #1 issuer of SOC 2 reports and a top three FedRAMP assessor. Founded in 2009, A-LIGN delivers high-quality, efficient audits across frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, CMMC, ISO 42001, PCI, and HITRUST. To learn more, visit: https://www.a-lign.com.