How an IT Guy Accidentally Infiltrated a High-Security Factory Thanks to a White Van and Some Cargo Pants
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Fake it till you make it”? Well, sometimes you don’t even have to fake it—just look the part, and the universe (or at least, a distracted security guard) will do the rest. Today, I’m sharing a real-life story from the annals of r/TalesFromTechSupport that not only proves this adage but also reads like the accidental pilot episode of a European “Mission: Impossible.”
Picture this: You’re a young sysadmin, just 20 years old, tasked with the most mundane of IT chores—collecting old network gear and inventory from a now-defunct branch office. You’re dressed in your unofficial techie uniform (cargo pants and a hoodie), rolling up with a coworker in the most nondescript white work van in Europe. What could possibly go wrong? Or rather, what could go so right that you accidentally bypass industrial espionage-level security? Let’s dive in.