Worth realizing that a lot of pre-internet systems like bureaucracies and phone networks were full of known and actively exploited vulnerabilities but they reli

Worth realizing that a lot of pre-internet systems like bureaucracies and phone networks were full of known and actively exploited vulnerabilities but they relied on obscurity and the law to discourage excessive exploitation so white-hat hacking didn't make sense. Somebody who's been out of touch for the past 20 years could easily see responsible disclosure as the beginning of an extortion attempt. "I can access your data and I'll publish sensitive information about it in 30 days." sounds like it's about to be followed up with "...unless you send me a pile of money in unmarked bills".