Hacking is a necessary threat because a lack of hacking would mean generations of programmers and systems engineers growing up learning that it's OK to not protect their shit. Of course, eventually someone would get the idea, and something far worse than even Equifax would happen
Curiosity is the single most important attribute with which humans are born. More than a simple desire to discover or know things, curiosity is a powerful tool, like a scalpel or a searchlight. Curiosity changes us. It is also a way to effect change, perhaps even on a global level.