Hacking is ridiculously cool. Building your first laser rifle, for instance, is likely to give you a thrill you haven’t experienced before, particularly if you mis-use it.
But don’t forget that there’s a practical side to this: Hackers are in demand. Got skillz? Then you’re going to have people wanting them. (Contact me personally if you’re curious about pay rates.) Often, the gateway to the serious bucks is a decent certification. Get the Security+, or the CEH, or any of the SANS/GIAC certs, or any of a dozen more. This is how you hack your career! Learn stuff, have fun, make money. It’s not a stupid idea.
Here’s a very cool site that can fill you in on schools, certs and programs:
http://www.cybersecurityeducation.org/
We’d like to read about your experiences below. Tell us what’s worked for you. There’s nothing better than being rich, famous and appreciated. Or at least any two of the three?