Critical Cloud and Tarian Labs Launch Continuous Runtime Security Validation for Fintech Firms

FinTech Wales members Critical Cloud and Tarian Labs have announced a strategic alliance to deliver Continuous Runtime Security Validation, a joint service designed to help regulated organisations move from point-in-time security testing to continuous assurance across cloud, AI and production runtime environments.

Annual penetration tests provide fintech firms with an important control point, but they do not necessarily offer proof that production environments remain secure as systems evolve. By the time a report reaches a board, new code may have been deployed, cloud infrastructure may have changed and AI features may have entered production.

The companies say this can create a stale evidence problem for firms that need to satisfy boards, auditors, regulators and enterprise customers.

The new service connects Critical Cloud’s Managed Runtime Assurance model with Tarian Labs’ practitioner-led offensive security capability, shaped by experience across government, defence and critical national infrastructure.

Moving beyond point-in-time security testing

Managed Runtime Assurance is the accountable operation of production applications, cloud platforms and AI systems so they remain observable, secure, resilient, cost-controlled and evidence-ready.

For fintech firms and other regulated businesses, this means security testing is not left as a point-in-time report. Findings are moved into operational remediation, retesting and evidence that identified issues have been resolved.

Continuous Runtime Security Validation combines Critical Cloud’s Datadog-powered managed operating model with Tarian Labs’ practitioner-led offensive security expertise through an improvement cycle of Observe, Detect, Validate.

Critical Cloud keeps the production runtime observable, monitored and operationally governed across cloud, observability and AI runtime environments. Tarian Labs independently challenges that runtime through penetration testing, cloud and infrastructure assessments, web application testing, API testing and retesting.

Findings then move directly into remediation, retesting and evidence of closure.

Independent testing and accountable remediation

Independence is built into the model. Tarian Labs owns the testing methodology, findings, severity ratings and retesting, while Critical Cloud owns remediation and runtime improvement.

All testing is carried out under written customer authorisation, an agreed scope, defined rules of engagement and controlled evidence-handling procedures.

“Detection without validation is hope, not assurance,” said James Smith, CEO of Critical Cloud. “Fintech firms need more than a pen test report that ages the moment production changes. They need independent evidence that runtime controls work, and a managed operating model that turns findings into fixes.”

“Testing should not stop at the report,” said Kevin Hanford, Co-Founder and CEO of Tarian Labs. “This alliance gives customers a practical route from offensive testing to remediation, retesting and proof. Critical Cloud operates the runtime layer. Tarian Labs validates it independently. Together, we help customers close the gap between finding risk and proving it has been fixed.”

UK and Ireland engagements now open

Continuous Runtime Security Validation engagements are now open across the UK and Ireland, with a packaged joint offer expected to follow.

Planned joint activity includes Welsh fintech events and a live demonstration environment showing the full Observe, Detect, Validate cycle under controlled attack conditions, including remediation, retesting and evidence of closure.

Critical Cloud is ISO 27001 certified, holds Cyber Essentials Plus and is a Powered by Datadog accredited partner and Datadog Advanced Partner.

Tarian Labs engagements are delivered by CREST registered practitioners and signed off at NCSC-recognised CHECK Team Leader, CSTL-INF, level.

About Critical Cloud

Critical Cloud delivers Managed Runtime Assurance for AI-era software. The company operates, secures and governs the cloud, observability and AI runtime layer behind mission-critical products, powered by Datadog, so teams can ship quickly while production remains reliable, secure, cost-controlled and evidence-ready.

About Tarian Labs

Tarian Labs is a UK-owned, independent cybersecurity company delivering practitioner-led penetration testing and security assessments across cloud, infrastructure and web applications. The company is built on 22 years of combined UK defence and Critical National Infrastructure experience.