Fintech organisations across the UK and Ireland can now access a new service designed to provide ongoing assurance over production security following a strategic partnership between Critical Cloud and Tarian Labs. The Continuous Runtime Security Validation offering helps businesses continuously verify that their security controls remain effective as cloud environments, applications and AI capabilities evolve.
The partnership brings together Critical Cloud’s Managed Runtime Assurance operating model with Tarian Labs’ offensive security specialists, whose experience spans government, defence and critical national infrastructure projects.
Managed Runtime Assurance focuses on the day-to-day operation of production applications, cloud platforms and AI systems, helping organisations maintain visibility, resilience, security, operational efficiency and compliance readiness. Instead of producing a report that reflects a single point in time, security findings become part of an ongoing cycle of remediation, retesting and evidence-based validation.
The service combines Critical Cloud’s Datadog-powered managed operating model with Tarian Labs’ independent testing capabilities through an Observe, Detect, Validate methodology. Critical Cloud manages monitoring, governance and runtime operations across production environments, while Tarian Labs performs penetration testing, cloud and infrastructure assessments, web application reviews, API testing and follow-up verification. Findings move directly into remediation before independent retesting confirms they have been addressed.
The partnership preserves clear separation of responsibilities. Tarian Labs owns testing methodology, findings, severity ratings and retesting, while Critical Cloud leads remediation and operational improvements. Every engagement is delivered under customer authorisation, agreed scope, defined rules of engagement and controlled evidence management.
“Detection without validation is hope, not assurance,” said James Smith, CEO of Critical Cloud. “Today’s regulated organisations need continuous proof that production controls continue to perform as intended, particularly as technology changes at an increasingly rapid pace.”
“A penetration test should be the beginning of improvement rather than the end of the process,” said Kevin Hanford, Co-Founder and CEO of Tarian Labs. “By linking independent testing with remediation and verification, we help organisations demonstrate that security risks have been effectively resolved.”
Continuous Runtime Security Validation is now available across the UK and Ireland, with a packaged joint offering planned for a later date. Future joint activities include fintech events in Wales and a live demonstration environment that illustrates the complete Observe, Detect, Validate lifecycle, including remediation, retesting and evidence of closure.
Critical Cloud is ISO 27001 certified, holds Cyber Essentials Plus, and is recognised as a Powered by Datadog accredited partner and Datadog Advanced Partner. Tarian Labs delivers engagements through CREST registered practitioners with final sign-off at NCSC-recognised CHECK Team Leader (CSTL-INF) level.
