Hackers targeting election networks across country prior to midterms

[DonViejo]

Source: The Boston Globe



By Jana Winter SPOTLIGHT FELLOW NOVEMBER 05, 2018

Hackers have ramped up their efforts to meddle with the country’s election infrastructure in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s midterms, sparking a raft of investigations into election interference, internal intelligence documents show.

The hackers have targeted voter registration databases, election officials, and networks across the country, from counties in the Southwest to a city government in the Midwest, according to Department of Homeland Security election threat reports reviewed by the Globe. The agency says publicly all the recent attempts have been prevented or mitigated, but internal documents show hackers have had “limited success.”

The recent incidents, ranging from injections of malicious computer code to a massive number of bogus requests for voter registration forms, have not been publicly disclosed until now.

Federal agencies have logged more than 160 reports of suspected meddling in US elections since Aug. 1, documents show. The pace of suspicious activity has picked up in recent weeks — up to 10 incidents each day — and officials are on high alert.



Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/11/04/hackers-targeting-election-networks-across-country-lead-midterms/d0EzG4Cmh2jeMqllhXo4WP/story.html

[saidsimplesimon]

1. I heard this on "First Look" today.

Even if the source below is not credible, hacking is a fact. imo

https://www.axios.com/mail-bomb-attacks-political-climate-polarization-7653e6fd-14e9-454a-a288-c71a9de7321e.html

Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei

Oct 25

Playing with fire

The big picture: With President Trump fanning fear ahead of the midterms a dozen days from now, the nation's political discourse is on track to be even hotter and more volatile during the 2020 campaign than it was when he ran the first time. We are playing with fire — and there are piles of dry kindling stacked throughout America and American politics right now.
Right wingers, led by radio hosts, quickly claimed (without evidence) a conspiracy against them.

"On the pro-Trump Internet, ... the once-fringe idea of politically motivated 'false flag' attacks [was pushed] into the mainstream," per the WashPost.

Extreme language can inspire extreme deeds.

When Trump calls the media the "enemy of the people," some are bound to take that literally.

Why it matters: "The discovery of pipe bombs targeting prominent Democratic politicians and CNN is raising the threat of election-season violence largely unknown in the U.S. — and prompting uncomfortable questions about the consequences of leaders' increasingly vitriolic rhetoric," AP's Steve Peoples and Ken Thomas write.

[Honeycombe8]

2. "The agency says publicly all the recent attempts have been prevented or mitigated"...oh, really?

First, you have to KNOW about ALL the attempts, which of course...you don't know what you don't know. Because you don't know it. So you can't say you've prevented "all" hacking, since you can't know about all hacking.

Hackers hack because it works.

If you believe that Trump's Homeland Security is fighting the hacking, I have some lovely swampland to sell you.

[47of74]

4. Yeah and I have the following bridges for sale

[watoos]

3. Jill Winebank (sp) the Watergate prosecutor,

stated to not vote straight ticket. Vote for each Democrat individually and then review to make sure that none of your votes were flipped, at least flipped on the screen.

[lagomorph777]

13. Thank goodness, we have banned vapor-voting in VA.

[FailureToCommunicate]

5. Surprise surprise. Especially with Republicans benefiting AND cutting funding for hack mitigation

[Takket]

6. Ever seen a piece of paper hacked?

Me neither.

[Onward AND Upward]

11. Paper ballots are definitely the best way to go, as they can be audited in a re-count (as long as

they havent been 'lost'), but it's the computers holding the election day, precinct results, that are the easy target/weak link. Which is why Malcolm Nance and others, have been telling everyone to vote absentee (on episode of Bill Maher), and EARLY, to ensure time to verify that their ballot was received without problems.

I joined here weeks ago, requested someone start a thread on this, to get this info posted, but no one followed up on my request, and it took me awhile before I achieved the ability to start one. Crossing my fingers and toes, it wont matter, and our party pulls out the wins we need to save our country.

[usaf-vet]

7. This is a national problem that the federal government NEEDS to address.

A secure voting system, an un-hackable voting system, can not be left to individual states and local government agencies.

For national security reasons this needs to be seen as important as any new multi-billion dollar weapon system.

The ability for foreign agents to walk through the open internet pathways of their choice is as dangerous as any other attack on our nation.

FORGET the "Wall" along the southern border. That is a political stunt to get votes.

Let's build a REAL secure electronic "wall" around the the entire computerized infrastructure within all USA borders.

We sent men to the moon and brought them home. Let's not say it would be impossible to protect our electronic infrastructure.

I'm not secure in my home if my vote can be stolen.
1. If OUR water systems can remotely disrupted.
2. If OUR power plants can be remotely disabled.
3. If OUR banking system can be hacked.
4. If OUR communication systems are disrupted.
5. If OUR air traffic control systems are insecure and unsafe.
6. If OUR interstate transportation system is disrupted.
7. If OUR GPS navigation system disrupted, and on and on.

All of these computerized systems can be attacked from anywhere in the world. Without firing one shot or dropping one bomb.

Stop worrying about a "caravan" of immigrants attacking us from Central America.

GET OUT AND VOTE

[WA-03 Democrat]

10. +1000

[Jedi Guy]

12. You can make it difficult to hack, but not impossible.

Common wisdom in IT is that there's no such thing as absolute security. About all you can do is make it enough of a pain in the ass that no one will bother, because the return isn't worth the effort.

The problem arises in that the return is definitely worth the effort from the viewpoint of our enemies, and they have comparable resources to throw at the problem. Russia, for instance, can afford to invest millions or more, if they deem it worthwhile. Same for China, among others, and now they know it's effective.

Paper ballots are the best way to go. Ironic, given the way tech has taken over just about every aspect of our lives.

[Rene]

8. Need to ensure they protect/retain the LOGS from every vote counting server.

I believe hackers know url's for many Secretary of State's vote counting servers......they can switch to another server url and run rogue, vote flipping programming...... As technical support for a batch scheduling software in the distributed environment...I know it's very easy to maintain same named (but rogue..vote flipping) programming on a second server.... and then 'switch' back to the primary server with skewed/flipped results sent back.
Someone watching the screen would never know the tally was on a different server for a brief time. They need to retain the logs..to watch the URL switch and then back to original server with rogue pgm's results..

[Onward AND Upward]

14. THIS. +1000. See my post higher up. A great, detailed techical explanation that I didnt want to

launch into, because not everyone speaks geek here. Also, we need to win the elected offices that are responsible for the vote counting. In other words, replace the foxes guarding the hen houses.

[beachbum bob]

9. Wouldn't be funny if white hat hackers counter the Russian ones??

That would be hilarious.....

[Onward AND Upward]

15. In my fantasy world, in my head, I am looking for the donation link. ;) nt