Posted: 10/1/2011 7:21:00 AM EDT
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Campaigning for the 2012 presidential race has already begun, but what the candidates don't know is that come election day, hackers could be the ones whose votes have the biggest impact.
Researchers from the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois have developed a hack that, for about $26 and an 8th-grade science education, can remotely manipulate the electronic voting machines used by millions of voters all across the U.S. The researchers, Salon reported, performed their proof-of-concept hack on a Diebold Accuvote TS electronic voting machine, a type of touchscreen Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system that is widely used for government elections. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/30/researchers-hack-voting-machine-for-26/?test=latestnews |
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Every electronic voting machine needs to be 100% off the grid and other then a power cord, completely locked against all access until the local voting admin along with a rep from both [or more parties] opens it and pulls the info. We also do need to "purple finger" all voters to prevent "double dipping" and require a valid state ID as proof of who they are and if they are legal to vote.
Without this, voting is a joke. |
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I program voting machines (we use a different maker than the accuvote) for my county as part of my contract work for the election commission. Once we pull them from the secure storage room they are never unwatched long enough for someone to install "alien electronics" until the votes have been recorded. Further, the panel as they are referred to - has a numbered seal that would have to be broken to access the internals.
I'm not saying that you couldn't construct a caper to hack them, but it's not as easy as strolling up, flipping some latches, and installing your circuit board. Crooked officials or other outright fraud would be much more likely |
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As someone who works in the computer security field this doesn't surprise me a bit. IT security tends to be a second thought, with everyone thinking everyone else will secure the system. Then again, voter fraud is nothing new, just a different and perhaps more efficient means. |
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Quoted:
Every electronic voting machine needs to be 100% off the grid and other then a power cord, completely locked against all access until the local voting admin along with a rep from both [or more parties] opens it and pulls the info. We also do need to "purple finger" all voters to prevent "double dipping" and require a valid state ID as proof of who they are and if they are legal to vote. Without this, voting is a joke. 100% In agreement on all points. |
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A Diebold voting machine....hacked in 32.6 seconds by Slingblade....ya don't say? From a company who's CEO was dumb enough to state he'd "deliver Ohio" to a presidential candidate, during an election year no less, I'm must say that I'm totally surprised and caught off guard by this development.  My shocked face:  Electronic voting seems like such a great idea, too. What could possibly go wrong? Seriously, if this wasn't my country and my freedom this shit was happening to, I'd be pissing myself with laughter. |