Security researchers do have one bit of leverage that artists don’t; they can sell the product of their labors to the black hats. But they have dance carefully to avoid extortion or criminal accessory charges. Still, in the end I think selling to the bad guys is the best way to increase the number of security pros actually hired as opposed to being merely exploited in these contests.

What I find rather negative aspect, is that there’s a lot of site specific forums, yet people use only facebook groups when/if one is created.

Why it is not good that the facebook group is more used than a site forum?
Firstly, Facebook is not safe media. As a mere example, a browser-addon meant to be a FB-game tool, may reveal basically anything that’s written in a closed group, if the tool’s written badly, or if it’s purposely malicious. Less likely to happen when the game-site, and the forum are on different source.
Secondly, Facebook is not stable media. Those who are members of groups, and especially those who are admins of groups, remember too well about the group-renewal of Facebook, which happened short ago. A lot of groups went to “archives”, because the updating system did not even work for those who did not use english as FB language, until it was too late. On occasion, groups, or even user-accounts, go missing or unaccessible without clear reason about what has happened.

These programs I think are extremely beneficial, and it would be exciting to see more companies continue to emulate these models.

As for fear, well: I walk generally without fear. But I stay off of tight ropes with the same mindset that eschews social networking. Thus far, neither abstinence seems to have narrowed the universe for me. Rather, I reap the benefit of time to spend on better things.