News
2009 May 01: CPR/Corporate Technologies Outsources Security Assessments to RedRock
RedRock has formed a partnership with CPR/Corporate Technologies, a Minneapolis based IT organization with offices in Fargo, San Diego, Grand Rapids, Fairfield and Boise. RedRock will be performing security assessments on behalf of CPR in the Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois markets. CPR chose RedRock due to our strong background in offering security services in the financial and other regulated industries. Red Rock’s principals have performed IT security consulting services, ranging from security assessments to complete FFIEC and NCUA IT Audits, for financial institutions for a number of years. Red Rock security consultants hold the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification. CISSP is the gold-standard, internationally recognized, information security certification.
The enhanced assessment will collect, analyze and provide remediation recommendations for information security from two perspectives: internal and external. The internal assessment covers technology as seen from within your organization, while the external assessment covers technical components seen from the internet. The assessment process will include a comprehensive network scan, password policy analysis, router and firewall analysis, comprehensive host system vulnerability scan, physical access to systems and data as well as information technology policies and procedures. A major enhancement to the assessment will include a detailed scan of Windows systems which will uncover weaknesses in basic configuration and expose vulnerabilities in non-Windows applications. Following the analysis, remediation recommendations will be provided for each vulnerability.
For more information, contact a RedRock Security Specialist at 616-534-1500 or email info@redrockis.com.
2009 Mar 31: Conflicker (DOWNAD) Worm Information
We have had numerous requests from clients regarding what they should do to protect organizational computers from potential problems with Conflicker (also known as DOWNAD). Conflicker is a worm designed to activate April 1 , however the steps to prevent problems by infected machines involve little more than applying a Microsoft security patch. Please review the following to determine the level of risk and whether your Windows systems are adequately protected;
- If you are a RedRock Managed Services Client taking advantage of our A-FIT Desktop Management or Server Management products, you need to do nothing. We have applied the appropriate patches in November of 2008.
- For clients managing their own workstations, please ensure antivirus is installed and and up-to-date on all Windows systems and that Microsoft Security Update MS08-067 has been applied.
- For a detailed explanation of the worm and what will happen to unprotected systems, please check out the TrendLabs Blog.
If you have any questions or are unsure whether your network is properly protected, please contact us immediately.
2009 Mar 11: RedRock Finishes Second Year With Over 40% Growth in 2008
We want to take a moment and thank our clients for trusting us. Without you, there would be no RedRock and we never take that for granted.
RedRock was formed in early February of 2007. Since that time, the company has grown from zero clients to over 40 and from working out of a home office to having an office suite, data center presence and employees. Since inception we’ve invested heavily in our back office to integrate our firewall management systems, client data backup, server and desktop management, client portal, trouble ticket, billing and quoting systems.
Since RedRock has a philosophy of operating debt-free, we need to delicately balance back office investments, employee hiring and sales; all while keeping customer service at the forefront. We don’t make impulse decisions, however, having years of experience in the MSP industry allows us to move quickly and confidently.
So what’s new for the rest of 2009? We are currently working on a new business initiative, revamping our product line and adding new features to meet compliance demands. You’ll see us at more industry trade shows and small group events, educating those in the financial and healthcare industries on security best practices. We’re excited about the progress made and the opportunities that lay ahead. Stay tuned…
2008 Nov 13: New Network Attached Backup Appliances to Include Expanded Offsite Storage Options
Effective immediately, RedRock is offering an expanded lineup of disaster recovery solutions. RedRock’s Network Attached Backup (NAB), a disk-based backup and failed server virtualization appliance is now available with up to 500GB of offsite storage included in the purchase price. The inclusion of expanded offsite storage can result in a $2,000 to $14,000 savings over a three year period depending on the model and storage requirements. For a small per GB monthly fee, each appliance can manage up to 2 Terabytes of encrypted local and offsite storage.
In addition, all appliances are now offered with Opteron Dual-Core processors and expanded memory for increased performance during a disaster scenario.
The NAB solution is ideal for any business with one or more Windows servers. It eliminates tape, encrypts all storage data and will backup any application without the need for plug-ins or specialized agents. The solution is completely managed and 100% hands-free.
2008 August 05: Special Rates for 501(c)3 Non Profit Organizations
RedRock Information Security understands the importance of supporting local non profit organizations and is proud to offer hardware and services at deeply discounted rates. When times are tough, giving to charitable organizations is one of the first items removed from the budget of many donors. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our success and proud to offer our expertise as a token of our appreciation.
If you would like more information on this program, please contact us.
2008 April 10: New Features Released for RedRock’s Network Attached Backup Systems
To improve capabilities, increase flexibility and decrease recovery time in the event of a disaster, we have released a service pack for the 2007 NAB models and Backup Server Agents. In this Service Pack release we have…
- Added the ability to copy or synchronize the backup files to an external USB Drive
- Improved provisioning and reprovisioning making it quicker and easier to provision the NAB and Server machines.
- Added the option to enable/disable chain verifications on the backups.
- Added the New virtualization process that virtualizes a server within minutes by booting the virtual machine from the backup files.
- Added NAB Tools that allow you to easily control/pause your offsite transfers, clean up orphaned data and the ability to receive support from our BDR (Business Disaster Recovery) Team via ITRescue.
Contact a RedRock BDR Specialist at 616-534-1500 to discover how your organization can eliminate the risks and administrative overhead associated with back-up tapes and benefit from a RedRock Network Attached Backup system.
2008 Feb 19: Evaluate Your Providers (Questions to Ask of Prospective Service Providers)
What is this ‘managed services’ stuff you keep hearing about? Why would you care? Does having a predictable, consistent budget sound good? How about the ability to call and get IT problems solved without worrying about an hourly charge? Need to keep regulators and examiners happy? How about a board of directors? Feel like worrying about business and not all that IT stuff? When you do (and you will) get involved with evaluating Managed Service Providers (MSP), make sure to get answers. Not sales fluff. A few items to be aware of during your evaluation;
- Look for independence. Use firms who are not tied to a mothership, allowing for a true third party management. Do you really want to hire a fox to watch the henhouse?
- Get concrete information on staff experience (ask for bio’s). It doesn’t make much sense to hire an MSP with staff less experienced than your own.
- Obtain proof of certifications. If you’re evaluating a business to manage your security, look for CISSP (the Gold Standard) certified staff who are involved in the daily monitoring of your IT infrastructure. Do not settle for less and do not let prospective MSPs tell you ‘it doesn’t really matter that much’ or ‘we have x years experience’. Nonsense. Move on if the certs aren’t there (CISSP certification requires proof of experience, just to sit for the exam).
- Find out about the back-end infrastructure and solutions offered which you can ‘grow into’ such as disk-based-backup, remote connectivity solutions, VPN, telecom partnerships (look for a variety of vendor relationships…it’s about choices).
- Review SLAs, contracts, does the MSP offer policies, procedures and standards?
- Find out how you’re going to get reports. Look for MSPs offering online portals, giving you access to a trouble ticket system, system reports, invoices and a knowledgebase.
- What else does the MSP do? Consulting, network integration, network design, security auditing? Is the MSP in touch with current but proven technology without selling the bleeding edge? Keeping on top of regulatory trends?
The world of I.T. at times can be very confusing. Call today for a free, no-strings-attached consultation to review your organization’s options and cut through the clutter.
2008 Feb 02: New Network Attached Backup Options
Network Attached Backup (NAB) options have changed. RedRock now offers the NAB in three configurations to assist with meeting any organization’s data backup needs. The base NAB has been expanded to 500 Gb, the Advanced NAB is now a 2U rack-mount, RAID 10 server and new to the lineup is the 2U Xtreme NAB, with 2 full terabytes of data storage in RAID 10. In addition, with the Advanced and Xtreme models, we can virtualize a failed server in about 15 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly…15 minutes. Let us know if you find another solution provider offers a business continuity and disaster recovery solution even close to this. And best of all, it’s regulatory compliant, the data is AES-256 bit encrypted, even during storage on the NAB. And if you’d like, you can be the only one holding the encryption keys. Imagine, no more tapes, no more complicated contracts with couriers, no risk of losing data and dealing with the embarrassment and loss of reputation. Find out why organizations can’t wait to get rid of tape. Read more…
2007 November 06: Disk-To-Disk Backup Offering
We are excited to announce a revolutionary new backup and disaster recovery system. The NAB (Network Attached Backup) product allows for complete system backups of any Windows Server including bare-metal recovery and off-site storage at two separate data centers. In addition, a failed server can be virtualized on the NAB appliance, providing for a comprehensive disaster recovery solution. In addition, all off-site data is completely AES-256 bit encrypted during transmission and storage. Read more…
2007 October 01: RedRock’s Secure Data Center Online
Our robust datacenter provides RedRock Information Security and our customers with carrier-grade redundant power, cooling and fire suppression for hosted 
systems. Our datacenter resides on a metro fiber ring, allowing for continuous availability in the event of a fiber cut. Datacenter and hosted systems security includes 24×7x365 live-person monitoring, controlled, pre-approved and screened access, locked cages and hardened server operating systems. Contact us at 616-534-1500 to learn how you can leverage our investment for your business today.
2007 September 26: Competitive Options
RedRock is now offering competitive pricing on equipment and recurring services. If you’re currently reviewing managed service/security providers, please give us a call for special pricing or to discuss your options.
2007 September 24: We’ve Moved!
Our new office is located at:
401 Hall St SW, Suite 225
Grand Rapids, MI 49503