That is the case I was thinking of, but I went back to check my memory and it was not a gray area. They had a signed contract from the Iowa Judicial Branch and

That is the case I was thinking of, but I went back to check my memory and it was not a gray area. They had a signed contract from the Iowa Judicial Branch and its Information Security Officer that specified gaining physical access to the building. Source: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/01/iowa-prosecutors-drop-charges-against-men-hired-to-test-their-security/ https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/01/iowa-prosecutors-drop-ch... They did fail to verify that law enforcement was aware (the client specifically asked them not to) and they seem to have misunderstood the building's ownership structure. The end result was that they fulfilled their contract and were arrested for it after encountering one idiot with power, after which the local politicians piled on in order not to look weak.