What is CA3O?
CA3O (Certified AI Assurance & Accountability for Operations) is the defence and national security equivalent of CMMC. Just as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification validates cybersecurity program maturity across 5 levels, CA3O certifies your organization's AI governance, safety, and accountability maturity across the same 5-level framework.
Designed specifically for military AI systems, autonomous weapons governance, intelligence AI oversight, and defence sector organizations, CA3O provides a standardized, measurable pathway to demonstrating AI trustworthiness to Five Eyes allies, NATO partners, and the entire international defence community.
CA3O vs CMMC: The Parallel
CMMC certifies: Cybersecurity processes, compliance, incident response, access controls
CA3O certifies: AI governance, bias testing, autonomous system oversight, alignment with human control, ethical frameworks for lethal autonomous weapons
The Result: An organization can be CMMC Level 3 (cyber-secure) but CA3O Level 1 (basic AI hygiene). CA3O ensures your AI systems themselves are trustworthy — not just your networks.
5 Maturity Levels
Each level builds upon the previous, with increasing investment, governance depth, and organizational commitment. Select your organization's target level based on AI system criticality and defence classification.
Basic AI Hygiene
Managed AI Processes
Defined Governance
Quantitatively Managed
Optimizing
6-Step Assessment Process
From initial discovery to certified assurance, the CA3O assessment follows a proven 6-step framework designed for defence organizations with classified systems and security clearance requirements.
Scoping & Discovery
Identify all AI systems in scope, classification levels, and stakeholders. Establish governance baseline.
Documentation Review
Audit existing AI governance documentation, risk assessments, and testing protocols against CA3O requirements.
Technical Assessment
Evaluate AI models for bias, adversarial robustness, explainability, and human-in-the-loop integration.
Governance Audit
Review organizational processes: boards, approval chains, incident response, vendor management for AI.
Red Team Exercise
Adversarial testing of AI system robustness, decision-making under attack, and override mechanisms.
Certification & Monitoring
Award CA3O certification and establish continuous monitoring roadmap for next renewal period.
CA3O vs Other Standards
Understanding how CA3O compares to CMMC, SOC 2, and ISO 42001 helps organizations build a comprehensive compliance portfolio.
| Standard | Primary Focus | Maturity Levels | Typical Duration | Defence-Specific |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA3O | AI Governance & Safety | 5 Levels (Optimizing) | 4-36+ weeks | ✓ Yes |
| CMMC | Cybersecurity Maturity | 5 Levels (Optimizing) | 3-24 months | ✓ Yes (DoD) |
| SOC 2 | Security & Compliance | Type I & II | 6-12 months | ✗ No (Commercial) |
| ISO 42001 | AI Risk Management | Binary (Certified/Not) | 6-12 months | ~ Generic |