ISO 27090 Cost and Effort Estimator
The cost of adopting ISO/IEC 27090 is mostly people-days, and the number of AI systems, how much of the AI stack you run yourself and whether you already hold ISO/IEC 27001 or 42001 drive it. Enter those and your day rates to get a low to high range for each of the seven phases, a testing and tooling line, and the ongoing effort per year.
Guidance only. Indicative heuristics, not a quote. The method is stated in full below. Turn it into a schedule with the ISO 27090 project plan (Pro) and see where it leaves you on the maturity roadmap (Pro).
Guidance only. Indicative heuristics, not a quote. Replace the placeholder day rates with your own.
Your organisation
People and rates
In-house rate = fully loaded cost of a day of your staff’s time. Changing currency relabels the amounts; it does not convert them.
One-off cost
$210,340 to $366,905
Labour, external testing and tooling, over about 25.5 weeks.
Project people-days
276 to 467
Mid estimate 346: 244 in-house, 104 consultant. Blended rate $650/day.
Ongoing, per year
53 to 89 days
$34,450 to $57,850 a year at the blended rate.
People-days per phase
1.5 weeks × about 1 people · 6 in-house / 2 consultant days (mid)
3 weeks × about 1.5 people · 16 in-house / 7 consultant days (mid)
5.5 weeks × about 2.2 people · 43 in-house / 18 consultant days (mid)
3.5 weeks × about 1.7 people · 21 in-house / 9 consultant days (mid)
11 weeks × about 2.8 people · 108 in-house / 46 consultant days (mid)
5 weeks × about 2.2 people · 39 in-house / 17 consultant days (mid)
2 weeks × about 1.5 people · 11 in-house / 5 consultant days (mid)
| Budget line | People-days | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Project labour (7 phases) | 276 to 467 | $179,400 to $303,550 |
| External AI security testing (consultant rate) | 13 to 33 | $13,000 to $33,000 |
| Tooling allowance (10% of labour) | n/a | $17,940 to $30,355 |
| One-off total | $210,340 to $366,905 | |
| Ongoing annual effort | 53 to 89 | $34,450 to $57,850 |
Ongoing annual effort
The recurring activities from the AI security review calendar for the same inputs (mid estimate).
- Threat-model refresh (4×)14 days
- Red-team / prompt-injection retest (4×)28 days
- AI supplier reassessment (1×)2.5 days
- AI inventory review (2×)2.2 days
- Model and provenance checks (4×)8 days
- AI incident tabletop (1×)3 days
- AI security metrics review (4×)4 days
- ISMS management review input (ISO/IEC 27001, 9.3) (1×)2 days
- AI security policy annual review (1×)2 days
Guidance only. Indicative heuristics, not a quote. Phase weeks come from the ISO 27090 project plan model; the method is set out below. ISO/IEC 27090 is guidance, not a certifiable standard.
TL;DRWhat this estimator gives you
4 points
- Estimates the people-days and cost of adopting ISO/IEC 27090 guidance, phase by phase: mobilise, scope and inventory, threat assessment, control design, implementation, testing and evidence, review and improve.
- Inputs: organisation size, number of AI systems, deployment models (LLM API, managed platform, open weights, AI SaaS, in-house model), ISO/IEC 27001 or 42001 already held, the in-house vs consultant mix, and your own day rates in your currency.
- Output: a low to high range per phase, a budget line for external AI security testing and tooling, and the ongoing annual effort to keep it running.
- Every heuristic is printed in "How we estimate" below. Guidance only. Indicative heuristics, not a quote. Export to CSV or Markdown. Free, in your browser.
How we estimate
Guidance only. Indicative heuristics, not a quote. Every number below is a PlayCISO planning heuristic, chosen to be transparent and easy to argue with. None is a market statistic or benchmark.
- Phase weeks come from the ISO 27090 project plan (Pro) model for the same organisation size, number of AI systems and certifications, so the two tools agree.
- People-days per phase = weeks × 5 working days × core team size × organisation-size factor. Core team size for a mid-size organisation: mobilise 1, scope and inventory 1.5, threat assessment 2, control design 1.5, implementation 2.5, testing and evidence 2, review and improve 1.5. Size factor: small 0.7, mid 1, large 1.5.
- Deployment models change how much of the work is yours, following the typical split in the AI shared-responsibility matrix. Weights: LLM API 1, Managed platform 1.05, Self-hosted open weights 1.25, AI SaaS feature 0.7, In-house model 1.4. The factor is the highest weight you select plus 0.1 for each extra model, and applies to threat assessment, control design, implementation and testing.
- Range: low = 0.8 × and high = 1.35 × the mid figure: skewed upward on purpose, so the high end leaves room for scope growth.
- Cost = people-days × a blended day rate (your in-house share × in-house rate + the rest × consultant rate). Default rates of 500 and 1000 are placeholders, not market rates.
- External AI security testing: 2 to 5 people-days per AI system × the deployment factor, at the consultant rate, on top of the internal testing phase.
- Tooling allowance: the percentage of one-off labour you enter (default 10%). Replace it with real quotes when you have them.
- Ongoing annual effort: the recurring activities of the AI security review calendar for your inputs, each a base number of people-days plus a share per AI system, × the size factor, then the same range and blended rate.
Not included: certification audit fees for ISO/IEC 27001 or 42001, licences for the standards, new hires, remediation of findings beyond the implementation phase, and infrastructure costs.
ISO 27090 toolkit
Explore all AI & ISO standards →Everything on PlayCISO for ISO/IEC 27090, from the first self-check to the auditor’s questions. ISO/IEC 27090 is guidance, not a certifiable standard.
ISO 27090 Readiness Checklist
Reference · GuideCan you be certified to ISO 27090?
Planner · ProISO 27090 Project Plan
Roadmap · ProISO 27090 Maturity Timeline
Templates · ProISO 27090 Sample Artefacts
Lab · ProISO 27090 Implementation Lab
Lab · ProISO 27090 Threat-Mapping Lab
Template · ProISO 27090 AI Security Test Plan
Template · ProISO 27090 RACI Template
Template · ProISO 27090 Project Plan Template
Matrix · FreeISO 27090 Traceability Matrix
Generator · FreeISO 27090 Alignment Statement
Labs · FreeISO 27090 Practice Path
Matrix · FreeAI Shared-Responsibility Matrix
Briefing · FreeAI Security Board Briefing Pack
Metrics · FreeAI Security Metrics Set
Calendar · FreeAI Security Review Calendar
Course · FreeISO 27090 in 10 Minutes
Simulator · FreeISO 27090 Auditor Interview
Article · GuideISO 27090 explained
Frequently asked questions
How much does ISO/IEC 27090 implementation cost?
It depends mostly on how many AI systems are in scope, how much of the AI stack is yours to secure, what management system you already run and your day rates. This estimator turns those into a people-days range per phase and multiplies by the rates you enter. It is guidance only, built on stated heuristics, not a quote and not market data.
Can you get certified to ISO/IEC 27090?
No. ISO/IEC 27090 is guidance on addressing security threats to AI systems and has no certifiable requirements, so the estimate covers adoption work, not a certification audit. If you need a certificate, it is ISO/IEC 27001 or ISO/IEC 42001 with an accredited certification body, and those audit fees are not included here.
Why does holding ISO/IEC 27001 or 42001 lower the estimate?
Because the work reuses what they already provide: a risk method, risk register, Statement of Applicability and internal audit for 27001, and an AI inventory, AI impact assessments and an AI management review for 42001. The estimator takes its phase durations from the ISO 27090 project plan model, which shortens those phases when either is held.
Where do the default day rates come from?
They are round placeholders so the tool shows numbers before you type anything. They are not market rates for any country. Enter your own fully loaded staff cost per day and the consultant rates you have been quoted. Changing the currency relabels amounts; it does not convert them.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The estimate is calculated in your browser, and the CSV and Markdown exports are created on your device.
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