AI-Augmented VAPT and SecureAI Controls: A Quantitative Compliance Study Under ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, SWIFT CSP, and PCI DSS

Abstract

This study quantitatively examined the impact of AI-augmented Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) and SecureAI control mechanisms on cybersecurity compliance performance across internationally recognized frameworks, including ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, SWIFT Customer Security Programme (CSP), and PCI DSS. A cross-sectional explanatory research design was employed, utilizing data collected from 210 cybersecurity and compliance professionals across financial and enterprise IT sectors. The findings revealed that AI integration significantly enhanced compliance performance, with a strong positive correlation identified between AI-augmented VAPT and compliance outcomes (r = 0.68, p < 0.05). SecureAI control maturity demonstrated an even stronger relationship with compliance performance (r = 0.72, p < 0.05), indicating the critical role of governance mechanisms in achieving regulatory alignment. Multiple regression analysis showed that AI-augmented VAPT (β = 0.41, p < 0.01) and SecureAI controls (β = 0.46, p < 0.01) were significant predictors of compliance performance, collectively explaining 58% of the variance (R² = 0.58). Continuous monitoring practices also contributed significantly (β = 0.29, p < 0.01), reinforcing the importance of real-time security assessment. Sectoral analysis indicated that financial institutions achieved higher compliance scores (M = 4.28) compared to non-financial sectors (M = 3.76), while organizations with advanced cybersecurity maturity reported superior detection accuracy (M = 4.22) and audit readiness (M = 4.30). The results further showed that high AI integration levels corresponded with increased compliance performance (M = 4.32), compared to low AI adoption (M = 3.42). Overall, the study provided strong empirical evidence that AI-driven cybersecurity practices significantly improve compliance effectiveness, operational efficiency, and governance consistency across multi-framework environments, highlighting the importance of integrating advanced analytics with structured security controls for enhanced regulatory performance.