Expands Enterprise Compliance & Risk services to AI as customers, boards, and regulators demand accountability
CHICAGO and DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Only 4% of large multi-location brands require a corporate security review before locations adopt AI tools, according to recent VikingCloud research. VikingCloud, a cybersecurity and compliance company trusted by 4+ million business locations worldwide, today launched AI Governance Services, a new set of compliance and risk assessments that find the AI tools in use across a business, show where security controls fall short, and deliver a remediation plan to close the gaps.
Multi-location brands struggle to hold every location to one security standard. Shadow AI makes that even harder. Employees adopt tools at the location level without corporate review, and vendors switch on AI features without notice. The gap between security policy and AI reality is now a business risk, and customers, boards, and regulators are starting to demand accountability.
"AI governance is becoming a condition of doing business—and getting business," said Thomas Patterson, EVP, Global Product Management at VikingCloud. "Customers and prospects are asking for it in security questionnaires and RFPs. Regulators are building requirements around it, with rules like the EU AI Act now being enforced. Boards want proof it's in place to minimize risk."
VikingCloud's AI Governance Services are built on its proprietary assessment model of 10 AI risk areas, spanning strategy and accountability, data privacy and security, and legal and regulatory exposure. Customers can choose between two options:
- AI Health Check. A three-week check-up that shows organizations where they stand and what to do first. Specialists find the AI in use, including shadow AI, and deliver an AI Health Index from 0 to 100 and a 30-, 90-, and 180-day plan with an owner for every action.
- AI Readiness Assessment. A four- to six-week assessment that gives organizations a clear view of their AI readiness to share with customers, boards, and regulators. Specialists test 101 checks against evidence, each mapped to leading global AI standards and regulations, including ISO/IEC 42001, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and the EU AI Act. The results give organizations a plan to act on now and a foundation for ISO/IEC 42001 certification.
AI Governance Services extend VikingCloud's assessor practice to AI, bringing the same rigor its global network of assessors has applied to leading brands' security and compliance controls for more than 20 years. AI Readiness Assessment clients manage the work in the Asgard Platform®, alongside their other compliance programs.
"AI governance is quickly becoming part of every security and compliance conversation," said Kevin Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer at VikingCloud. "By bringing our assessors' discipline to AI, we're helping organizations govern it with a partner they already trust."
For more information on AI Governance Services, visit https://www.vikingcloud.com/compliance-risk/ai-governance.
For organizations pursuing ISO/IEC 42001, the international standard for AI management systems, visit VikingCloud Audit & Certification, LLC, an independent certification body.
About VikingCloud.
VikingCloud delivers cybersecurity and compliance solutions that simply work. Our expert-led approach combines proven technology and AI-driven insights with dedicated support, keeping businesses secure, audit-ready, and uninterrupted. VikingCloud is trusted by over 4 million business locations in 70+ countries to stop threats before they stop business, so they can work on what matters most.
SOURCE VikingCloud
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