Red Clay Completes Acquisition of Threat Hunting Startup C3 Security

This Latest Solution Will Foster Improved Cybersecurity Operations within Utilities

 

Atlanta, GA – February 5th, 2019 – Red Clay Consulting, a leading provider of business and technology solutions to the utilities industry, has completed the acquisition of Threat Hunting startup C3 Security as part of its continuing effort to expand the new SecureGrid business unit.

Widely used in other industries, automated Threat Hunting is virtually nonexistent in the utilities sector. “Red Clay specializes in converting unwieldy data streams into valuable information. Traditionally this has been to measure usage and help transform utility business operations,” says Red Clay Consulting co-founder and SecureGrid chief executive Michael Cocroft, “With automated threat hunting we can use this same skill set to expose threats and raise alerts. It’s a natural fit.”

“Threat hunting has been a highly manual process.  Historically, it required extensive hours by a security analyst to sift through various data sources to create hypotheses about potential threats.  This activity was largely based on the individual’s own knowledge and familiarity with the network,” says Michael Pearson, co-founder of SecureWorks and Chief Information Security Officer of SecureGrid, “With the incorporation of C3 technology on our SecureGrid platform we can cut the time and resources required to rapidly identify real threats and respond in an effective and timely manner.”

Christopher Corcoran, founder of C3 Security now Director of Threat Analysis with SecureGrid says, “I’m excited to join a team that understands how our technology can be fully deployed to protect critical infrastructure. Our Threat Hunting technology combined with Red Clay’s SecureGrid platform doesn’t generate more noise to compound alert fatigue; on the contrary, the technology was built to work agnostically with all data and amplify the value of preexisting solutions.  Our goal has always been to enable efficient analytics and response by providing the big picture and tells the story of what happened, where, and how to best remediate and protect against similar attacks from happening again and we are thrilled to be able to offer this to the utilities sector.”

According to Gunter Ollmann, founder of Ablative Security LLC, C3 Advisor and Chief Security Officer for Microsoft’s Cloud and AI Security division, “The marrying of C3’s innovative threat hunting and automated orchestration platform with Red Clay’s deep understanding of Utility-specific threats and business consultancy experience is the kind of force multiplier needed to shepherd and support Utility customers who have embarked on their digital transformation journey.”

As previously announced, SecureGrid represents Red Clay’s entry into the cybersecurity sector, and like the firm’s core business of solutions for the utility industry, leverages Red Clay’s extensive experience with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and the resulting meter data. This experience, paired with proven cybersecurity leadership and proprietary technology, provides the foundation for a unique cybersecurity solution.

 

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of customer experience and billing, meter data management, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

Media Contact
Brian Lassiter
Red Clay Consulting, Inc.
www.redclay.com
brian.lassiter@redclay.com

 

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Red Clay Officially Launches SecureGrid

This Latest Solution Will Foster Improved Cybersecurity Operations within Utilities

Atlanta, GA – January 9, 2019 – Red Clay Consulting, a leading provider of services to the utility industry, has expanded its offerings with the development of SecureGrid Cybersecurity Services. SecureGrid represents Red Clay’s entry into the cybersecurity sector, and like the firm’s core business, focuses on and leverages Red Clay’s extensive experience with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and utilities. This experience, paired with proven cybersecurity leadership and proprietary technology, provided the foundation for a unique cybersecurity solution.

Red Clay Consulting co-founder and SecureGrid chief executive Michael Cocroft says, “our goal was to create an entirely new cybersecurity offering, not just rebrand what the rest of the industry is doing and call it ‘utility-focused.’ We have a unique vantage point, and we put it to effective use. We were able to involve some of our current clients to fine tune the offering. It is truly a tailored, comprehensive solution.”

SecureGrid is comprised of three primary areas to secure the entire meter-to-cash lifecycle: Assess and Identify, Validate and Test, and Manage and Pursue.

Assess and Identify uses risk assessments, gap analysis and road map development to give utilities a complete view of what they currently have in place. “With the speed at which this industry operates, it can be difficult to step back and take stock of what tools are in place and gauge their efficacy. Calculating return on investment is not an easy task in cybersecurity, so many businesses don’t even try.” says Michael Pearson, co-founder of SecureWorks and Chief Information Security Officer of SecureGrid. “But simply being able to say there were no incidents for a period of time does not validate your spend, nor does it guarantee you are protected from future attacks.”

“Understanding your organization’s true cybersecurity risk exposure and getting to grips with the relevance of each different vulnerability to your business are mandatory first steps to being able to allocate resources correctly and with maximum mitigating effect.” In the Validate and Test component of SecureGrid, Threat Modeling offers the ability to test networks and simulate attacks on a virtual model rather than risk actually disrupting critical network systems during testing. This is particularly useful within utilities and represents a breakthrough in the ability to secure and test without any risk of service disruption.

Paired with Threat Modeling are a group of experienced penetration testers schooled in the Red Team Penetration testing methodology and industry experts to perform true vulnerability analysis.  “Our combination of seasoned professionals and superior technology allows us to produce actionable results,” says Pearson.

Threat hunting, while widely used, requires expensive data storage as well as dedicated time from resources that are already stretched thin. “And in the current labor market, these resources are expensive at best, and unavailable in some markets,” says Pearson. In SecureGrid’s Manage and Pursue component, “our approach allows us to utilize more cost-effective storage and the capability of our toolset means fewer man hours to identify and analyze an attack.”

SecureGrid offers a 24/7 alert model that can serve as a cybersecurity first line, allowing utilities professionals to focus only on alerts that matter and relieving the stress of trying to spread security resources too thinly.

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of customer experience and billing, meter data management, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

 

Contact Info

Red Clay Consulting
Maria DeChellis
Director of Marketing & Industry Strategy
+1.678.445.3770 x 245
dechellis@redclay.com

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2018 Red Clay Leadership Scholarship Awarded to Four Students at University of Georgia’s College of Engineering

Athens, GA – November 1, 2018 – Red Clay Consulting is excited to announce four students in University of Georgia’s College of Engineering have received a Red Clay Leadership Scholarship. The students were honored at a luncheon held on October 18 at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.

The Red Clay Leadership Scholarship is a one-year scholarship. Recipients were selected based on academic performance and demonstrated leadership potential. This year’s recipients are all Georgia residents.

According to Red Clay’s founding partner Michael Cocroft, “The UGA engineering graduates Red Clay has hired over the past three years were well prepared for today’s competitive and fast-paced work environment. The Red Clay Leadership Scholarship was created to support the impressive education and opportunities UGA’s College of Engineering is providing to bright and promising students.”

Donald J. Leo, Dean of the UGA College of Engineering stated, “The Red Clay Scholarship will make a lasting impact on the lives of our students and demonstrates Red Clay’s strong commitment to the educational mission of the University of Georgia.  We are very grateful for their generous support.”

Red Clay has also been a Strategic Partner in UGA’s College of Engineering Corporate Partnership Program since 2017. This program leverages corporations to provide advice, access to equipment, and financial support to students.

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of customer experience and billing, meter data management, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: www.redclay.com.

 

Media Contact
Brian Lassiter
Red Clay Consulting, Inc.
www.redclay.com
brian.lassiter@redclay.com

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John Zenyuh to Lead Red Clay’s Project Management Office as Director of Delivery Operations

Atlanta, GA – October 3, 2018 – Red Clay Consulting announced today the hiring of John Zenyuh to direct its Project Management Office (PMO.)  Zenyuh’s proven track record in program delivery, business process optimization and strategic planning is the result of over 20 years of successful projects in technology and utilities. As Director of Delivery Operations, Zenyuh will be responsible for unifying and standardizing project methods and facilitating effective transfer of knowledge across the organization.

“As Red Clay has grown dramatically over the last several years through new projects and new service lines, it is important for us to continue to provide the same high standards of excellence in delivery for which we are known,” said Leeanna Gonzalez, Managing Director of Professional Services. “John drives process improvement through a combination of customer focus and technical savvy. His extensive background in the governance of complex utility software implementation projects made him the natural choice to lead our Project Management Office.”

Zenyuh previously served as Vice President of North American Product Management at Itineris, where he led strategy and executed organizational enhancements to align product delivery with active project requirements and timelines. A United States Air Force veteran, he has also served in senior roles at consulting firms including Ernst & Young and Five Point Partners, leading operations governance and resource management and acting as Lead Technical Liaison for utility billing and metering solutions.

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of customer experience and billing, meter data management, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

 

Media Contact
Brian Lassiter
Red Clay Consulting, Inc.
www.redclay.com
brian.lassiter@redclay.com

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Red Clay Welcomes Lynne Powers as Leader of Meter-to-Cash Advisory Services

Atlanta, GA – September 26, 2018 – Red Clay Consulting is proud to announce that Lynne Powers has joined its growing team where she will focus on further developing its meter-to-cash (M2C) cycle advisory services. Powers brings over 25 years of experience in consulting and management to this role, having provided strategic, operational, financial and business leadership to utilities in the meter-to-cash (M2C) cycle including customer information systems (CIS) and AMI projects. As Executive Director at Red Clay, her team will be responsible for providing clients with the expertise and best practices needed to ensure a successful operational transition of M2C technologies. Her work will largely focus on strategic planning and assistance, business process analysis, organizational change management, program management and implementation support for M2C projects.

Powers’s wealth of results-driven professional experience includes her experience as Vice President of EMA where she led a practice group focused on M2C cycle projects and specialized in process improvement, system usability and change management.  Powers also has operational process improvement experience in the telecom industry as owner of Bayview Management Group and a former telecom executive at Eschelon Telecom.

“We’re delighted to have Lynne step into this role,” said Paul Marnell, Chief Executive Officer of Red Clay Consulting. “Her exceptional expertise in utility program management will continue to expand Red Clay’s experience in meter-to-cash cycle projects and position Red Clay to provide full 360-degree support to utilities in the beginning stages of planning all the way through deployment.”

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of customer experience and billing, meter data management, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

 

Media Contact
Brian Lassiter
Red Clay Consulting, Inc.
www.redclay.com
brian.lassiter@redclay.com

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RED CLAY CONSULTING NAMED ONE OF ATLANTA’S TOP COMPANIES BY THE ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE

(#1) Atlanta – September 14, 2016 – Atlanta-based Red Clay Consulting, an IT systems integrator specializing in the utilities industry, announced today that it has been named one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Red Clay was recognized on September 8 as one of Atlanta’s Top Ten Best Places to Work at a breakfast honoring Atlanta’s top companies and sponsored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Winners of these annual awards are determined by an employee survey conducted by Quantum Workplace that measures work environment, people practices, managerial effectiveness, trust, and other metrics. Red Clay Consulting was honored in 2013 in the small company division. This year, they were recognized as one of Atlanta’s top ten medium-sized companies. Atlanta is the country’s most competitive city for this award.

“It’s a huge honor for us to receive this award. Creating a challenging, collaborative and fun work environment is on our radar each and every day,” says Susanne Wagner, Red Clay’s Managing Director of Operations. “It’s fundamental to who we are as a company and what we are able to accomplish professionally.”

Red Clay Consulting is a fifteen-year-old company with offices in Atlanta and Ontario, Canada. Red Clay is a leading implementation specialist in the utilities industry and has attracted top talent from throughout the U.S. and world. In the last eighteen months, Red Clay has grown by 50% and continued growth is expected. “Red Clay’s company culture is key to what helps us attract the best employees, encourages them to stay and grow with us, and allows us to win business and outperform our competition,” says Managing Director of Professional Services, Jill Greene. “Our strategy of maintaining and improving Red Clay’s company culture by taking it into consideration in all major company decisions from recruiting and hiring, to office location and environment, to project delivery is a winning proposition.”

About Red Clay Consulting:
Red Clay, a leading consultancy for utilities, delivers seamless integrations of leading software systems. Industry experience, technical expertise, and an unyielding commitment to client success combine to deliver turnkey solutions that maximize value. Red Clay Consulting is the preferred choice for software integration and managed services among utilities. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuels project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: www.redclay.com.

For more information, contact: Susanne Wagner, Managing Director of Operations at wagner@redclay.com.

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Red Clay Consulting Again Named One of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work by Atlanta Business Chronicle

Atlanta – September 13, 2018 – Red Clay Consulting, a leading consultancy for the utility industry, announced today that it remains one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work.

This annual Atlanta Business Chronicle award highlights Atlanta’s best workplaces, determined exclusively by employee feedback measuring work environment, employee engagement, managerial effectiveness, trust, and other metrics.  Red Clay was also honored with this award in 2013 and 2016.

“We’re thrilled to receive this award,” says Susanne Wagner, Managing Director of HR/Operations. “Red Clay has experienced tremendous growth over the last several years, and we remain steadfastly committed to offering a collaborative, transparent, fun company culture that grows and evolves with our workforce.”

Over the last two years, Red Clay has nearly doubled its number of employees, and opened its latest branch in Cali, Colombia. According to Managing Director of Professional Services, Leeanna Gonzalez, “We firmly root ourselves in the idea that a positive work culture is important both for the well-being of our employees and for the health of the company. Having a rewarding, challenging work environment is vital to Red Clay’s ability to attract and retain the best talent, which allows us to win new business and provide our clients with the highest possible quality of service.”

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of metering and meter data management, customer experience and billing, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

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Red Clay Welcomes Michael Pearson As Chief Information Security Officer

Pearson Brings Over 25 Years of Cybersecurity Expertise to Red Clay’s Security Solutions

 

Atlanta, Georgia – June 5, 2018 – Red Clay is pleased to welcome Michael Pearson as Chief Information Security Officer to its growing team. In this position, Pearson will oversee Red Clay’s new suite of security solutions – consisting of SecureGrid, SecureH2O and SecureGas – to assist electric, water and gas utilities in assessing critical vulnerabilities within their Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems.

Michael is a technology executive with over 25 years of experience in internet technology companies, including notable roles in product management, business development, marketing and executive leadership. His ongoing successes are achieved through a demonstrated approach of balancing research, industry knowledge and real-world experience. Additionally, Michael has extensive experience in multiple information security engineering disciplines including corporate information security leadership and management, measuring and improving organizational productivity, risk assessment, process re-engineering, application and platform controls, cryptography, and network and physical protection. He holds patents for the first intrusion prevention service and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a Certified Ethical Hacker.

“We’re thrilled to have Mr. Pearson at the helm of this important new offering,” said Michael Cocroft, Chief Strategy Officer. “Ensuring the security of critical infrastructure requires a proactive, informed approach. We believe Michael Pearson is just the right person to help utilities achieve the level of information security that is now an absolute necessity.”

The addition of a Chief Information Security Officer also marks Red Clay’s internal commitment to cybersecurity best practices and compliance. According to Cocroft, “Our project teams work on clients’ systems day in and day out. Therefore, we are just as committed to instituting cybersecurity practices within our organization as we are to the utilities industry.”

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of metering and meter data management, customer experience and billing, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.

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Red Clay Consulting Named Camp Twin Lakes’ 2017 Corporate Sponsor of the Year

Rutledge, Georgia – May 22, 2018 – Red Clay Consulting was named Camp Twin Lakes’ 2017 Corporate Sponsor of the Year at the Annual CTL Volunteers Have S’More Fun event on May 6.

In presenting the award, Camp Twin Lakes volunteer coordinator Ashley Henderson stated, “Camp Twin Lakes is incredibly grateful
to have Red Clay as a community partner in providing quality camp experiences for thousands of Georgia’s children with illness and disability!  It is rare to find a company that provides such 360 support – from fundraising to rolling up their sleeves and digging in the dirt at our organic farm! Since 2006, our campers, who are fighting diseases like cancer, muscular dystrophy, and sickle cell disease, have experienced a life-changing week at Camp Twin Lakes because of Red Clay’s generous gift of time and talent!”

“We could not be more honored to receive this recognition,” says Red Clay Consulting Founder and Chief Strategic Officer Michael Cocroft. “Camp Twin Lakes touches the lives of so many deserving children, and we are incredibly proud to support their mission.”

Through Red Clay Cares, Red Clay Consulting supports many charitable organizations meaningful to employees. Red Clay Cares offers employees charitable gift matching, paid time to volunteer, and opportunities to contribute to many worthwhile causes throughout the year. Camp Twin Lakes was one of the first nonprofits supported by Red Clay Cares. It remains a favorite among employees and was voted Red Clay’s 2018 Charity of the Year. Employees are showing their support for Camp Twin Lakes in 2018 by making donations via payroll deduction, volunteering as summer camp counselors, and participating in special events such as CTL’s Spin for Kids, a fall bike event.

About Camp Twin Lakes

Camp Twin Lakes is an Atlanta-based charitable organization that partners with many organizations to provide a summer camp experience to children with a range of physical, mental, emotional, and social challenges.  Camp Twin Lakes (CTO) operates three sites and serves 10,000 children each year through camps that provide specialized support. To learn more about Camp Twin Lakes, visit: www.camptwinlakes.org.

About Red Clay Consulting

Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of metering and meter data management, customer experience and billing, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: www.redclay.com.

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Red Clay Consulting Announces New Project with the City of Edmond, Oklahoma

Edmond, Oklahoma Partners with Red Clay to Launch AMI Program

Edmond, Oklahoma – May 1, 2018  – Red Clay Consulting announced today that it will provide program management and advisory services to the City of Edmond, Oklahoma to assist in the planning and evaluation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems and Meter Data Management (MDM) systems for the City’s water and electric service customers. Red Clay will work with the City to ensure a thorough evaluation of AMI systems that could best meet the needs of the City and its residents. The goal of the City’s AMI efforts is to evaluate options that would enhance superior customer service and experience for its residents while continuing to supply safe and reliable utility service.

“We look forward to partnering with Red Clay Consulting on this project to ensure that we are best prepared in terms of expectations and organizational impact prior to embarking on such a major undertaking. Our goal is to give our residents more useful data at their fingertips which will allow them to be proactive in managing their bills,” said Glenn Fisher, Utility Director. “We chose Red Clay based on its extensive experience and solid guidance, giving us a realistic view about our future state. We want to enhance the services we provide to our residents to continue to exemplify our motto of being ‘A Great Place to Grow.’ ”

“Working with such a great city about to undergo a major business and operational transformation gives us pride in having been selected to manage the AMI evaluation. We realize the importance of having residents be proactive in managing their usage and bills and are excited to be a part of this change,” said Maria DeChellis, Executive Director at Red Clay.

The city of Edmond, Oklahoma is home to approximately 95,000 residents within the corporate city limits. The project kicked off in April.

About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading technology consultancy for utilities, delivers superlative solutions in the areas of metering and meter data management, customer experience and billing, field services, commercial billing, load profiling and settlement, and security. Red Clay offers advisory and implementation services, as well as robust managed services and training services offerings to position your utility for success every step of the way. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: www.redclay.com.

About City of Edmond, Oklahoma
Known as the ‘Crown Jewel’ of Oklahoma, the City of Edmond, Oklahoma is a municipally-owned utility that provides electric and water services to approximately 95,000 residents.

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