Cybersecurity Road Trip: Truck Stops, Burnt Ends, and the Case of the Flying Helicopter
There are jobs, and then there are adventures disguised as jobs. For some, “business travel” means beige conference rooms and soggy danishes. For one cybersecurity consultant, it’s a cross-country quest through roadside oddities, WiFi sleuthing, and the occasional run-in with a black helicopter.
This is the story of a paid engagement that morphed into equal parts cyber-detective work, road comedy, and accidental espionage. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to chase vulnerable devices, eat burnt ends sandwiches in Missouri, and surprise two men in hi-viz shirts with a tripod—strap in. This is not your average tech support tale.
The Cybersecurity Consultant’s Great American Road Trip
Our hero—let’s call him LT, after his Reddit handle—was on a mission. Armed with a laptop, a pentesting rig, and a stubborn sense of curiosity, LT set out for Kansas under the radar of management, determined to avoid any “grief” about the wisdom of a road trip. The mission? Prove that the Copper Bolt security devices—questionable at best in the lab—were just as vulnerable in the wild.
But first: the obligatory truck stop pit stop in southern Illinois, where the only windshield squeegees available were six feet long, prompting LT to wage slapstick war on a compact car’s glass. This, naturally, entertained the truckers and echoed the day’s theme: cybersecurity work is rarely glamorous, but always eventful.
WiFi Whales and Wireless Wild Goose Chases
Back on the road, LT’s eyes—and WiFi scanner—caught something curious: a network called “TrukGrindr,” belonging to a client dabbling in autonomous trucking tech. The challenge: which of the thirty-plus trucks in range was broadcasting it? After a brief, fruitless hunt, LT decided to grab a screenshot for the client’s Slack channel, because sometimes “proof” is all you can get.
With St. Louis in the rearview mirror, it was time for the main event: a visit to “John Brown High School” (name changed, of course) to hunt for a Copper Bolt device. The school’s guest WiFi was locked down pretty well, but the CopperBolt-F01C01 network? Wide open. The admin page was accessible, and while creating a new admin account would be a felony (and a bit much for a Thursday night), screenshots and page sources were quietly harvested. Sometimes, the most damning evidence isn’t digital—it’s a photo of your laptop in front of an actual school.
Sandwiches, Surveillance, and the Siren Song of a Moving Truck
After securing the digital loot, LT’s stomach demanded a detour: a city park, a food truck, and a burnt ends sandwich. But even in barbecue bliss, the hunt wasn’t over. The TrukGrindr network appeared again, miles away—meaning the truck was moving west, just like LT. Channeling Captain Ahab, our consultant hit the accelerator, determined to catch the elusive “White Whale” Kenworth and maybe, just maybe, snag a photo for posterity (or Slack).
Somewhere near the border of “dedicated” and “slightly over-committed,” LT realized that risking a highway accident for a blurry photo might not be worth it. The chase was over. Time for a motel.
Of Mistaken Rooms and VFW Breakfasts
But the night had one last twist: opening the motel door to find two confused men, a camera tripod, and a tableau that screamed “wrong room.” After a quick retreat and a convenience store dinner, LT finally got to write up the night’s exploits for the venture capitalists eagerly awaiting proof of Copper Bolt’s field vulnerabilities.
Morning brought a choice—Denny’s or the VFW post for breakfast. The VFW, with its hearty food and blaring cable news, won. Between bites, LT prepared for the next day’s tabletop exercise: guiding a roomful of CTOs and CISOs through cyber-disaster roleplay, using real incidents from the past year. Think “Dungeons & Dragons,” but with ransomware.
When the Helicopter is Literal
Just as LT was wrapping up, the phone buzzed: time for a status call. Not wanting to disturb the VFW crowd, he stepped outside—only to be asked by a colleague, “Hey, LT! Is that a HueyCobra behind you?” A glance skyward confirmed it: a silent, black helicopter hovering 15 feet overhead. Sometimes, the job gets noticed in more ways than one.
The Takeaway: Tech Support, But Make it an Adventure
Cybersecurity isn’t all code and conference calls. Sometimes, it’s a road trip filled with wireless mysteries, barbecue, and unexpected aerial surveillance. LT’s story is a reminder: the best tech support tales are the ones that happen off the clock—and sometimes, right in front of a helicopter.
Have you had a tech adventure on the road? Or ever chased a digital White Whale? Share your story in the comments below—bonus points if it involves burnt ends or black helicopters!
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Original Reddit Post: This is my job! I'm actually paid to do this, part 3