No too long ago, skilled hackers were rewarded with fat salaries and fancy titles after being busted for their shenanigans. Now, Max Vision -- a world-famous incarcerated hacker-turned-security-expert once making $250 an hour -- is happy to be getting minimum . . .
No too long ago, skilled hackers were rewarded with fat salaries and fancy titles after being busted for their shenanigans. Now, Max Vision -- a world-famous incarcerated hacker-turned-security-expert once making $250 an hour -- is happy to be getting minimum wage.

These are tough times for hackers. Federal agencies now have broad new powers to spy on them, thanks to provisions in the anti-terrorist USA Patriot Act. The House of Representatives has passed a new law that will send convicted hackers to prison for life. And, the information technology job market is so soft, it's tough finding straight work.

"We don't hire former hackers," said Jim Chapple, who leads security teams at Computer Sciences Corporation. "There are enough highly skilled people out there that we don't need ones with checkered backgrounds."

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