01
Capture
GitHub · GitLab · Bitbucket · SFTP
CLOUD CUSTODY / SOFTWARE ESCROW
Castler establishes the escrow agreement during vendor onboarding, captures the first complete deposit before the application becomes a live dependency, and keeps source code, build inputs, configuration, and release history continuously current in neutral, encrypted custody.
LIVE CUSTODY RECORD
Every release. One evidence chain
RELEASE CAPTURED
vendor-app · v24.11.7
commit 8f4c2a1
INTEGRITY SEALED
SHA-256 fingerprint
deposit immutable
REGIONAL CUSTODY
India · primary
encrypted · isolated
100%
CURRENT
THE CUSTODY CHAIN
Capture, seal, isolate and retain the software materials your recovery procedure depends on.
01
GitHub · GitLab · Bitbucket · SFTP
02
AES-256 · SHA-256 integrity seal
03
Multi-region · beneficiary isolation
04
versioned · tamper-evident
Cloud custody
AWS · Google Cloud Platform · Microsoft Azure · in-region localisation
Physical vault option
Delhi · Mumbai · Bangalore
THE CUSTODY STANDARD
A category-leading escrow service combines legal control, automated deposits, secure storage, and a release process that can be evidenced before an incident. Castler brings those controls into one operating record from contract signature onward.
The vendor, beneficiary, and Castler operate under one executed agreement with defined obligations.
Repository integrations keep the escrow record aligned with the software that is actually in production.
Deposits are protected in transit and at rest with role-scoped access and a complete audit trail.
Trigger events, notifications, evidence, approvals, and controlled release are defined before they are needed.
WHAT IS SOFTWARE ESCROW?
Software escrow is a legal and technical arrangement between the software vendor, the enterprise beneficiary, and a neutral escrow agent. The vendor deposits the source code and the materials required to understand, build, and maintain the application. Castler holds them under agreed access, residency, update, and release rules.
The arrangement should begin when the vendor contract is signed—not after implementation, after the application is live, or when a regulator asks for evidence. Establishing escrow during onboarding makes the first complete deposit, update cadence, release conditions, and responsibilities part of the relationship from day one.
Secure custody protects access. Continuous repository sync keeps the deposit aligned with current production releases. Castler Software Recoverability can then rebuild, deploy, and seal that same deposit as a signed Proof of Recovery—turning a current escrow record into evidence that recovery can work.
WHAT CLOUD CUSTODY INCLUDES
The custody layer is designed for the full lifecycle of the vendor relationship: agreement, initial deposit, automatic updates, access control, audit evidence, and controlled release.
Castler integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, and private Git repositories to capture every release automatically. There is no manual re-filing cycle and no stale code forgotten after the original procurement. The deposit remains aligned with the production release.
Every deposit is versioned with a timestamp, commit hash, release identifier, depositor, and source repository. The complete audit trail shows who deposited what and when, giving auditors an unbroken chain of custody from onboarding to the latest production release.
Deposits are encrypted in transit and at rest, logically isolated by customer, and protected through role-based access. Named parties receive only the permissions required by the tripartite agreement; repository and release activity remains recorded in the audit log.
Castler manages the tripartite software escrow agreement between the vendor, enterprise beneficiary, and Castler as escrow agent. Standard templates, custom clauses, digital signing, obligations, deposit schedules, and agreement changes are managed through one operating record.
Define insolvency, acquisition, discontinuation, support failure, and other negotiated trigger conditions under which the deposit may be released. Castler manages the declaration, notification, evidence, and controlled release process when a contractual trigger occurs.
Deposits can be held in the agreed cloud region, including India, the UK, the EU, the US, Singapore, and the UAE, subject to service availability and the executed agreement. India customers can also select physical vault custody in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore. This supports residency, customer, and regulatory requirements without limiting the platform to one market.
REGULATORY SOFTWARE ESCROW
Software escrow requirements differ by regulator, entity type, criticality, and deadline. The cards below summarise the key software-custody obligations; follow each link for the official reference, compliance timeline, detailed scope, and Castler evidence mapping.
Source code or software escrow for critical applications, including updates and programme fixes.
Applies to: Scheduled commercial banks and AIFIs
Read the full mappingSource-code access or escrow for critical software used by non-bank payment system operators.
Applies to: All non-bank PSOs
Read the full mappingEscrow and continuity controls for critical third-party applications supporting market entities.
Applies to: MIIs and regulated intermediaries
Read the full mappingSoftware escrow and source-code availability for critical insurance applications.
Applies to: Insurers and intermediaries
Read the full mappingICT third-party risk, exit planning, and evidence that critical functions can continue through disruption.
Applies to: EU financial entities and critical providers
Read the full mappingStressed-exit and continuity evidence for material outsourcing and critical vendor systems.
Applies to: PRA-regulated firms
Read the full mappingTHE UPGRADE PATH
Cloud Custody establishes the deposit and keeps it current. It satisfies the foundational requirement to have software escrow and source-code access in place. But custody alone answers only half the question regulators, insurers, and boards increasingly ask.
The full question is: can you prove the software can be recovered?
A current deposit is necessary. It is not sufficient. Castler Software Recoverability adds agentic verification — rebuilding, deploying, and replicating the application from the deposit — and produces a signed Proof of Recovery. The upgrade uses the deposit and agreement already in Castler; the vendor does not start again.
| Cloud Custody | Cloud Custody + Software Recoverability | |
|---|---|---|
| What you have | A current, versioned deposit | A deposit plus signed recovery evidence |
| Regulatory answer | “We have software escrow” | “We have a signed Proof of Recovery” |
| Requirement level | Basic escrow and source-code access | Deep recoverability evidence |
| Insurer signal | Baseline custody control | Increasingly relevant for cyber and technology E&O |
| Verification | Not included | Build, deploy, replicate, and engineer seal |
Establish neutral third-party custody for critical vendor software across the regions your contracts and regulators require.
Capture source, build inputs, runtime configuration, documentation, and release history in one continuously updated record.
Put escrow in place when the vendor contract is signed—before implementation, production go-live, or regulatory scrutiny.
CLOUD CUSTODY
Put the agreement, first deposit, release schedule, residency, and release conditions in place before the application becomes a live dependency—or an audit issue. Upgrade the same custody record to full Software Recoverability when your programme is ready.
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