Using Compliance Agent Skills

Using Compliance Agent Skills

Overview

This skill is the routing and orchestration layer for the compliance-agent-skills repository. It teaches the agent how to discover, load, and chain specialized skills without inventing regulatory steps. The repository implements progressive disclosure via Pydantic AI SkillsCapability: only load skills whose scope matches the user's task.

The compliance agent enforces a mandatory PHI redaction gate (redaction.py / Presidio) before any user text reaches the LLM. Skills operate on redacted input; authorized outputs may be deanonymized via the deanonymize_response tool.

Lifecycle commands (user-facing or scripted):

| Command | Purpose | | --- | --- | | /scope | Define in-scope systems, data flows, frameworks, and exclusions | | /audit | Execute framework-specific control testing | | /evidence | Collect, hash, and package artifacts for auditors | | /remediate | Draft remediation plans with owners and deadlines | | /report | Produce executive and technical findings summaries |

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• The user asks a broad compliance question without naming a framework ("Are we compliant?")
• You need to select among framework skills (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CCPA, FedRAMP, SOX, CMMC, GLBA)
• Configuring MCP servers (Playwright, Postgres, Slack, Presidio) for an audit run
• Starting a new engagement and defining scope before deep work
• Chaining skills (e.g., scope → PHI redaction → PCI script audit → evidence bundle)
• The user references presets or lifecycle commands (/scope, /audit, etc.)

Do not use this skill when:

• The task maps cleanly to one specialized skill (load it directly)
• The user needs only PHI redaction configuration (use hipaa-phi-redaction-pipeline)
• The task is pure third-party vendor review (use hipaa-baa-vendor-assessment or vendor-third-party-risk)

Core Process

Execute the following steps in order for every new engagement.

Step 1: Intake and framework detection

1. Parse the user request for:

• Framework signals: HIPAA (PHI, BAA), PCI-DSS (CDE, PAN, scripts), SOC 2 (TSC), ISO 27001 (Annex A, SoA), NIST CSF (Govern/Identify/Protect), CCPA/CPRA (DSAR, opt-out), FedRAMP (SSP, 800-53), SOX (ITGC, 404), CMMC (CUI, 800-171), GLBA (NPI, Safeguards)
• Artifact type: policy review, technical control test, incident, vendor assessment
• Environment: production vs staging, cloud provider, MCP availability

1. If multiple frameworks apply, list them explicitly and propose a sequenced plan (scope first, then deepest-risk skill).
2. Record engagement metadata: UTC timestamp, auditor/run ID, target systems, authorization to scan.

Step 2: Scope definition (/scope)

1. Document in-scope:

• Systems, URLs, databases, MCP servers, identity providers
• Data classifications (ePHI, CHD/SAD, confidential processing data)
• Applicable regulations and TSC categories

1. Document out-of-scope with rationale (reduces audit creep and false positives).
2. Identify blocking dependencies: missing BAA, no scan authorization, Playwright MCP offline.
3. Emit a scope artifact: scope-{engagement-id}.json with version and approver field.

Step 3: Skill routing matrix

Load exactly one primary skill per audit thread; add secondary skills only when scope requires:

| User intent | Primary skill | Common secondary skills | | --- | --- | --- | | Payment page / checkout scripts | pci-dss-script-audit | mcp-compliance-integration, soc2-evidence-collection | | CDE network / firewall | pci-dss-network-segmentation | access-control-identity-audit | | PHI in prompts / LLM pipeline | hipaa-phi-redaction-pipeline | hipaa-technical-safeguards | | Access controls, MFA, IAM | access-control-identity-audit | soc2-trust-services-criteria | | Log tampering / audit trails | audit-logging-integrity | hipaa-technical-safeguards | | SOC 2 control mapping | soc2-trust-services-criteria | soc2-evidence-collection | | Continuous monitoring | soc2-ccm-continuous-monitoring | compliance-as-code-governance | | LLM/cloud vendor legal | hipaa-baa-vendor-assessment | vendor-third-party-risk | | MCP server hardening | mcp-compliance-integration | access-control-identity-audit | | PCI encryption, PAN, key management | pci-dss-encryption-key-management | audit-logging-integrity | | HIPAA minimum necessary / de-id | hipaa-privacy-minimum-necessary | hipaa-phi-redaction-pipeline | | ISO 27001 Annex A / SoA | iso27001-annex-a-controls | soc2-trust-services-criteria | | NIST CSF 2.0 assessment | nist-csf-2-assessment | compliance-as-code-governance | | CCPA/CPRA consumer rights | ccpa-cpra-privacy-rights | hipaa-privacy-minimum-necessary | | FedRAMP cloud authorization | fedramp-moderate-baseline | nist-csf-2-assessment | | SOX ITGC / SOX 404 | sox-itgc-audit | access-control-identity-audit | | CMMC / CUI / defense | cmmc-nist-800-171 | fedramp-moderate-baseline | | GLBA / banking / fintech | glba-ffiec-financial-privacy | vendor-third-party-risk | | HITECH breach / OCR portal | hitech-breach-notification | breach-incident-response | | US state privacy (VCDPA, CPA, TX) | us-state-privacy-laws | ccpa-cpra-privacy-rights | | NIST AI RMF / AI governance | nist-ai-rmf-governance | nist-csf-2-assessment | | FERPA / EdTech / student records | ferpa-education-records | coppa-children-privacy | | COPPA / under-13 / child app | coppa-children-privacy | ferpa-education-records | | GDPR / EU transfers | gdpr-us-multinational | us-state-privacy-laws | | Breach / incident | breach-incident-response | audit-logging-integrity | | Policy-as-code / IaC | compliance-as-code-governance | soc2-evidence-collection |

1. Call load_skill for the primary skill and follow its Core Process verbatim.

Step 4: MCP preset configuration

Before /audit, confirm MCP servers required by the loaded skill:

| MCP server | Typical use | Compliance relevance | | --- | --- | --- | | Playwright (@playwright/mcp) | DOM, headers, screenshots | PCI 6.4.3, 11.6.1; SOC 2 CC7.x | | Postgres | Baselines, inventory, evidence store | Script hashes, control status | | Slack | SOC alerts, approval workflows | Incident notification | | Presidio (custom or REST) | DLP entity detection | HIPAA §164.312(e), minimum necessary |

If a required MCP is unavailable, stop and document a blocking finding—do not substitute undocumented tools.

Step 5: Execute audit (/audit)

1. Ensure upstream PHI redaction ran (agent default in agent.py).
2. Execute the loaded skill's Core Process without skipping steps.
3. Log each step completion with artifact IDs in UTC.

Step 6: Evidence packaging (/evidence)

1. Collect artifacts from all executed skills.
2. Apply SHA-256 to each file; record in manifest.
3. Store with immutable audit ID suitable for QSA or SOC 2 auditor review.
4. Cross-reference controls to evidence items (control ID → artifact path → hash).

Step 7: Remediation (/remediate)

1. For each FAIL or UNKNOWN finding, draft:

• Root cause, compensating controls (if any), remediation owner, target date
• Residual risk if deferred

1. Prioritize by regulatory severity (e.g., PCI IOC, HIPAA transmission gap, SOC 2 CC6.1 MFA gap).

Step 8: Report (/report)

1. Produce:

• Executive summary: scope, frameworks, pass/fail counts, top risks
• Technical appendix: control-by-control status with evidence links
• Open items: remediation backlog with owners

1. Deanonymize only for authorized recipients via deanonymize_response; never include raw PHI in reports sent to unapproved channels.

Common Rationalizations

| Excuse the agent might generate | Required rebuttal | | --- | --- | | "I'll answer from general compliance knowledge without loading a skill." | Skills contain mandatory sequences and exit criteria. General knowledge bypasses verifiable evidence requirements. | | "Scope can be implied; no need for /scope." | Undefined scope causes false positives and audit failures. Scope artifacts are required for multi-framework engagements. | | "I'll load multiple primary skills in parallel without sequencing." | Parallel primary skills duplicate work and conflict on MCP usage. One primary skill per thread; secondaries only when scoped. | | "MCP is optional if I can curl the URL." | Specialized skills (e.g., PCI script audit) require documented MCP tools for rendered DOM and baselines. | | "Evidence can be summarized without hashes." | Auditors require integrity-verified artifacts (SHA-256 manifest). Summaries alone are insufficient. | | "Remediation can wait until after the report." | /report must include open findings and remediation owners for FAIL items. | | "I'll deanonymize tokens to make the report readable." | Deanonymization is authorization-gated. Redacted tokens in LLM context must not be reconstructed without approval. |

Red Flags

• Engagement proceeds without documented scope or scan authorization
• User text bypasses PHI redaction before reaching the model
• Agent invents control IDs or regulatory citations not in loaded skills
• Primary skill skipped in favor of generic advice
• Evidence bundle missing hashes or UTC timestamps
• Deanonymized PHI appears in Slack or unencrypted channels
• PCI IOC or breach indicators routed to /report without /remediate and incident skills

Verification

Do not mark this skill complete until all exit criteria are confirmed:

• [ ] Framework(s) identified and documented in scope artifact
• [ ] /scope completed with in-scope/out-of-scope systems and data classifications
• [ ] Primary skill selected via routing matrix and loaded successfully
• [ ] Required MCP servers confirmed available or blocking finding recorded
• [ ] PHI redaction gate confirmed active for all user-provided text
• [ ] Loaded skill's Core Process executed (not abbreviated)
• [ ] /evidence manifest includes SHA-256 for every artifact
• [ ] FAIL/UNKNOWN findings have remediation entries with owners and dates
• [ ] /report delivered with executive summary and evidence cross-reference
• [ ] Deanonymization applied only where authorization is documented

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: vaquarkhan
• Source: vaquarkhan/compliance-agent-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://github.com/vaquarkhan/compliance-agent-skills#readme

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.