Want To Be A Hacker?

Remember the 90's classic movie "Sneakers"?

The story was that 6 very talented programmers were hacking the security of big companies and afterwards they informed them of the holes/disadvantages of their network in order to be fixed.
Once again a case of life immitating art immitating life. Since then a lot of people go by the occupation "Professional hacker" and do exactly the same thing. It shouldn't come as a surprise when I read that in Los Angeles there is a Hacking boot camp, where for only(?) $4000 you can learn how to penetrate every kind of security imagined...link
Great stuff! I wish I could attend this seminar too. But, it makes me think. How can the professors teach how to break security that is supposed not to break? Do they know how? Is there a key behind every encryption method just waiting to be taught at a seminar? Do they teach people how NOT to crack systems UNLESS they are allowed to?
I am confused. As much as I admire hackers I can't stop thinking of another movie: "Outbreak". After all the virus that nearly destroyed the world was supposed to serve humanity...