Sometimes It Just Doesn't Pay to be a Tester

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a recent incident involving penetration testers who were jailed after attempting a physical break-in as part of a security assessment for county court records. The conversation explores the implications of miscommunication between state and county officials regarding the scope of the test and the unexpected consequences that arose from it.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the confusion that led to the penetration testers being jailed, noting that the state officials did not adequately inform county officials about the nature of the test.
  • Others draw parallels between this incident and a separate case involving a flight attendant's immigration status, suggesting that miscommunication can lead to serious consequences in various contexts.
  • A participant humorously remarks on the potential pitfalls of using tablets for typing, implying that mistakes can happen in communication tools as well.
  • One participant mentions that successful penetration testing can lead to interesting stories, contrasting the current situation with positive outcomes from similar tests.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of humor and concern regarding the incident, but there is no clear consensus on the implications or lessons learned from the situation. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the broader impacts of such miscommunications in professional settings.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects on the limitations of communication between different levels of government and organizations, as well as the potential for misunderstandings in the execution of security assessments. Specific assumptions about the expectations of the penetration test and the roles of involved parties remain unaddressed.

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LOL, oops!

They claimed to be conducting a penetration test to determine how vulnerable county court records were and to measure law enforcement's response to a break-in.

Unfortunately, the Iowa state court officials who ordered the test never told county officials about it—and no one evidently anticipated that a physical break-in would be part of the test. For now, the penetration testers remain in jail. In a statement issued yesterday, state officials apologized to Dallas County, citing confusion over just what Coalfire was going to test:
 
Don’t be the caught holding the bag. It reminds a bit of the airline stewardess who was worried about flying from the US to Mexico because she was a DACA person. Her bosses said it wouldn’t be a problem for her since she was working. Well ICE wouldn’t let her reenter the US.

Finally an outcry from politicians and supporters allowed her back in the country. She was in immigration limbo and her company made the mistake of sending her on an international flight because they were short on Stewardesses.

Editted to remove the short people joke.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/flight-attendant-daca-gets-airline-s-ok-fly-mexico-then-n986351
 
Last edited:
jedishrfu said:
...her company made the mistake of sending her on an international flight because they were short people.
:doh:
 
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Yes and oops another reason not to use a tablet for typing.
 
On the other hand: If pen-testing goes right, you get stories like this:

 

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