“As soon as the sheriff shows up, everything changes.”
Two Coalfire pen testers were hired by Iowa to test courthouse security in 2019. They found an unlocked door, entered, triggered an alarm on purpose. Exactly what the contract required. They showed credentials and written authorization. Got arrested anyway, jailed for 20 hours, charged with felony burglary. Seven years and $600K later, Dallas County settles but admits no liability. The county prosecutor says they’ll still prosecute next time. The security industry still has no legal standard for this work.