Computer Experts Describe Security Flaws in Voting Machines

[BeFree]

http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1014


Thursday May 11, 2006 by Ed Felten
< This entry was written by Avi Rubin and Ed Felten. >


A report by Harri Hursti, released today at BlackBoxVoting, describes some very serious security flaws in Diebold voting machines. These are easily the most serious voting machine flaws we have seen to date — so serious that Hursti and BlackBoxVoting decided to redact some of the details in the reports. (We know most or all of the redacted information.) Now that the report has been released, we want to help people understand its implications.

<more at link>

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[Boredtodeath]

1. Something Old Is Something New in Voting Machine Snafus

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x428846

Stay current, please. You data is outdated by 8 days.

[BeFree]

2. The more info the better

The story needs to be told over and over until it sinks in.

We thank you for keeping up with it and keeping the story alive.

What's interesting is the reader's comment section at the end of the article. As you will see, not everyone agrees that computer based voting is all that great, or all that bad.

[kenny blankenship]

3. Nerd Alert! No one wants to know the details about how a convenient

electromathingajiggy that helps us vote might not be perfect.
It helps us vote! It simplifies my unbearable task of choosing a candidate--I LOVE Votamatic 3000 and you want to take it away from me. I'm not going to turn my back on it now and return with you to "a simpler time", where I suppose you'd have us all scratch our candidates' names on rocks with iron chisels. No! I'm a busy American and I'm headed toward the future every day and in every way. Give me convenient non-messy instant electroballoting everytime. In fact given the choice between a voting system which you Poindexters would call secure (ballot to be handwritten in our blood?) and casting my ballot on a touchscreen Pentium-D eleventy-gigahertz machine (that may or may not have a telnet daemon listening to connections from anywhere on the internet and an unprotected database for recording votes and an unpatched copy of Internet Explorer running), I'm going to choose that shiny Microsoft based solution everytime. IN fact, if I can get that gorgeous hotasfire Wintel balloting system with a wizard that helps me make doodles while I decide whom to vote for, spellcheck and a speak-n-spell voice synthesizer that asks me if I want to add an order of fries to my roster of candidates, then that's what I'm getting.

It HELPS us vote--just like the law said to do. Why don't you want Americans to vote?

[BeFree]

4. Oh, gawd

You've exposed us. Yep, we don't want America to vote, especially those deranged democrats. And if they do somehow get past our defenses and get in there to vote, we don't want it to be easy. We want them to have to think and actually make their mark on a piece of paper. That way the democRATs are already hamstrung because everyone knows only republicans are set up to do hard work.

[kenny blankenship]

6. Have you Liberals ever thought about

how much paper ballots pollute the environment you claim to care so much about?!?!

Give me CLEAN electronic balloting on toasty Intel silicon chips with galenium-arsenide based printed circuit boards dissipating 350watts on the die, whose only emissions are in the benign form of heat and hard right Republican winners...
(fans can take care of the heat, and Jack Abramoff takes care of the Republican winners)

...Or give me monarchy, whichever comes first or takes less effort.

[Kurovski]

8. Monarchy it is! Wheeee!!

oops! I mean: zzzzz. :rofl:

Wake me when The Royal Family is interviewed on Larry King Live.

Remember, GeorgeII himself has said that a dictatorship would be the easiest of all. (Cheaper too, no money spent on circuses for we, the peasants.)

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

14. "It helps us vote!"

You're not passing the smell test, pal, not by a long shot.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

15. Oops, my bad, missed the sarcasm, time to take a break. nt.

[OnTheOtherHand]

16. it's not too late to edit the other one.... n/t

[Kurovski]

19. Hehehe...what you smelled was french fries with every vote!

Very delicious, my dear Mr Jefferson. :-)

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

20. My dog distracted at the very moment...

...I was about to comprehend Blankenship's excellent satirical wit, so you see, kind sir, it really wasn't my fault at all. Don't worry, Maggie's been duly disciplined for her transgression. BAD DOG!!!

[Kurovski]

21. Oh, that Maggie!

Did she also eat anybody's homework tonight? :D

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

22. No she didn't , but I can hear her munching her IAMS Chunks...

...as I type. In case you're interested, said "chunks" reduce tartar buildup and help her maintain a soft shiny coat---says so right on the bag.

[Kurovski]

23. If it grows hair, I'm there.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

24. I'm way ahead of you, it didn't work. Didn't taste good either. nt.

[Kurovski]

25. Well, it still has that crunchiness to recommend it...

This chunk is "Sequoia" *crunch*!

And this nugget I shall dub "ES&S" *crunch, crunch*.

This chicken-flavored lump can stand in for Diebold: *crunch*grind*crunch*.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

26. I think you might have quite the...

...dog food marketing idea. "For Pet Owners Who Really Care About Democracy."

I briefly entertained the idea of trying to teach Maggie to "restore democracy" on command by training her to tear up a mock up of a Diebold voting touchscreen terminal. Then, of course, we'd be bound for Letterman and "Stupid Pet Tricks" fame. Then my coffee buzz wore off.

[kster]

5. Kick-n-Recommended.........nt

[kster]

7. kick.nt

[Kurovski]

9. More from the article under the heading: "What can we do now?"

"Where possible, precincts planning on using these machines should consider making paper backup systems available to prepare for the possibility of widespread failures on election day. The nature of this technology is that there is really no remedy from a denial of service attack, except to have a backup system in place. While voter verified paper trails and proper audit can be used to protect against incorrect results from corrupt machines, they cannot prevent an attack that renders the machines non-functional on election day.

Using general purpose computers as voting machines has long been criticized by computer scientists. This latest vulnerability highlights the reasoning behind this position..."

[BeFree]

10. That must be why...

...some of the facts are being held back from recent reports.

Somebody who knows how to access these computers on a wireless network could shut down thousands of machines on election day. What a mess that would be. Not only would it inconvenience voters, it would be an evil way to make sure thousands of votes were never counted.

Can you imagine that happening in a heavy Dem precinct? I can.

[Kurovski]

12. And we already know about organized voter suppression.

What was that story about not enough machines in Dem precincts? The Right-wing gets very creative in their efforts.

Even jamming the phone lines is a part of the crap they pull. They'd toss M-80s into toilets if they thought it would keep another dozen Dems from voting.

[Kurovski]

11. Can't someone toss in one more greatest vote here?

Geez, blankenship's satirical rif alone is worth it! :-)

[nicknameless]

13. Done

:)

[Kurovski]

18. 'Yer a true pal!

:-)

[Steve A Play]

17. K&R!

:kick: :thumbsup: