And From As Recently As Last January... (Re: Kathy Nickolaus)

[WillyT]

Waukesha County clerk, board clash over audit
By Laurel Walker of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 17, 2011

http://media.jsonline.com/images/185*256/jcpg-lcp_officer-o-year_2009(2).jpg

<snip>

Waukesha - Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus' response to audit recommendations aimed at improving election security in her office was not a hit with the County Board leaders Monday.

Nickolaus had said she would take the recommendations "into consideration" - sparking concern from members of the Executive Committee and, at one point, a scolding from County Board Chairman Jim Dwyer over what he later categorized as "smirks" during the discussion.

"This is the only audit in my 17 years where there's no compliance before (the audit reaches) the Executive Committee," he said at the start of Monday's audit review.

An audit of last fall's elections prompted Internal Audit Manager Lori Schubert to conclude that while the clerk's system generally complies with state and federal guidelines and accuracy of election totals was not at issue, Nickolaus should improve security and backup procedures.

For example, Schubert recommended that Nickolaus stop using the same ID and password for three employees, assigning individual ones instead, as required by county policy, so that an audit trail of each employee's work exists.

A "worst case scenario" of a disgruntled employee changing the password and locking others out of the system was possible and has occurred elsewhere in the country, Schubert said.

Nickolaus explained her rationale, saying it would take too much time for one employee to sign off so another employee could sign on to the same programming computer when one is interrupted to wait on a customer at the office counter.

Several committee members said they were uncomfortable with Nickolaus' refusal to adopt the recommendations.

<snip>

Link: http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/114014589.html

:kick:

[catgirl]

1. K&R

So she went against county policies. That alone makes the case for new elections in that county.

[rufus dog]

2. Hmmm

So shared passwords so she can log onto an employees computer and manipulate data. This could get good.

[riderinthestorm]

3. "Too much time for an employee to sign off so another can sign in??""

Is she for real? This happens in retail stores as just one example, and it takes less than a few seconds for one clerk to log off and another to log in.

That's a bullshit excuse. And sharing passwords?? Wowza.