County Pays $600K to Wrongfully Jailed Pen Testers

darkreading

February 2, 2026 at 9:57 PM

Overview

In 2019, two penetration testers were wrongfully arrested by Iowa police while conducting a security assessment. The incident arose during a red teaming exercise, where they were hired to simulate attacks on a local government system to identify vulnerabilities. This situation illustrates the dangers that cybersecurity professionals face when their work is misunderstood by law enforcement or the public. The county has since settled the case, paying $600,000 to the testers, which raises concerns about how security practices are perceived and the potential legal ramifications for professionals in this field. This case serves as a reminder for organizations to ensure clear communication and understanding of security testing protocols.

Key Takeaways

Timeline: Disclosed on 2023-10-01

Original Article Summary

Iowa police arrested two penetration testers in 2019 for doing their jobs, highlighting the risk to security professionals in red teaming exercises.

Impact

Not specified

Exploitation Status

No active exploitation has been reported at this time. However, organizations should still apply patches promptly as proof-of-concept code may exist.

Timeline

Disclosed on 2023-10-01

Remediation

Not specified

Additional Information

This threat intelligence is aggregated from trusted cybersecurity sources. For the most up-to-date information, technical details, and official vendor guidance, please refer to the original article linked below.

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