We learned from history and the Bloody Code, that when you have draconian sentences it means people will "upgrade" their crime since there is no difference between say "minor theft" and "major theft," but it also encourages horrible acts to avoid draconian punishments (murder is often involved in high risk crimes that have draconian sentences). But we also have most criminology and justice theory based on this modern principle that the punishment must fit the crime for law to be effective under the punitive system.
On a technical note, it is doing a favor to expose the exploits, as long as it's handled in an appropriate way, I mean that's literally why companies pay a ton of money to white hat hackers, and why there are bug bounties, etc. But even more that's why someone like Edward Snowden is a hero.