I have been doing this for 8 years. I have found plenty of things like that and none of those scenarios have come up. I have compromised very large organizatio

I have been doing this for 8 years. I have found plenty of things like that and none of those scenarios have come up. I have compromised very large organizations as deeply as you can imagine, easily covering things that would permit insider trading etc. The truth is we operate at the highest levels of discretion and it just isn't an issue. The SEC is very far from my radar, and, like anyone else with privileged knowledge about things a company might due that would impact their stock price, you just don't act on it. It really isn't hard to avoid. Government agencies will not beat down your door, but they will definitely hire you if you have the right skills. It isn't a one way street, though you can encumber yourself. (For reference, look at famous guys like Charlie Miller, who came from the NSA). You don't learn one thing about the world. You learn how brittle software is and how terribly insecure most things are. And along the way, if you let it, this can make you a bit cynical. Breaking software becomes like breaking a child's toy in many cases. It is still a lot of fun to break things.