Hacker infiltration ends D.C. online voting trial

[Bill Bored]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/10/hacker_infiltration_ends_dc_on.html

Hacker infiltration ends D.C. online voting trial

Last week, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics opened a new Internet-based voting system for a weeklong test period, inviting computer experts from all corners to prod its vulnerabilities in the spirit of "give it your best shot." Well, the hackers gave it their best shot -- and midday Friday, the trial period was suspended, with the board citing "usability issues brought to our attention."

Here's one of those issues: After casting a vote, according to test observers, the Web site played "Hail to the Victors" -- the University of Michigan fight song.

"The integrity of the system had been violated," said Paul Stenbjorn, the board's chief technology officer.

Stenbjorn said a Michigan professor whom the board has been working with on the project had "unleashed his students" during the test period, and one succeeded in infiltrating the system.

The fight song is a symptom of deeper vulnerabilities, says Jeremy Epstein, a computer scientist working with the Common Cause good-government nonprofit on online voting issues. "In order to do that, they had to be able to change anything they wanted on the Web site," Epstein said.

-snip-

Also see:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x516379

[Ozymanithrax]

1. A sheet of paper and a pencil may be the best voting system... n/t

[newscott]

2. Don't forget hand counted.

[yowzayowzayowza]

3. You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be led. - Stan Laurel n/t

[Bill Bored]

4. More discussion on LBN and GD (BradBlog):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4563859&mesg_id=4563859

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9253517

[littlewolf]

5. I still like the first voting machine I ever used ...

you walked in ... pulled a lever ... closed the curtain .... pulled the levers
for what you wanted .... pulled the lever to open the curtain ....
and that was that ..... punch card but you never saw the card ....
so there was no chance of marking the wrong block
or misreading something ....

[Bill Bored]

6. Those are NOT punch card voting machines. Please don't conflate levers with punch cards.

Levers are a superior technology.

[littlewolf]

9. ok what was it ... I always thought there was a

card inside the machine ... and your choices where punched into it when you pulled the lever and
opened the curtain ....

[Bill Bored]

7. The hacker has come forward and explained the hack:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x516431

[yourout]

8. Gotta love the "Hail to the Victors" part.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=k5p3HQfm5LI&feature=related>

this also would have been a good clip to play.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=1jV2Mjc_kkY&feature=related>

or this

<http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=P9TtBYgyXzk&feature=related>

[Bill_Kelleher]

10. POSITIVE NEWS FOR INTERNET VOTING

Friends!

Don’t despair over the DC hacking. Here is a short list of positive news for Internet voting:

Pasadena Star News, Two Sunday editions
“Are you ready for Internet voting? For millions of Americans overseas, it's the only way to ensure their votes are counted”
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_16357185

Also, RE: CA Prop 14 (nonpartisan elections) and the future of CA politics
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_16172903?IADID

Both articles have excellent debates in the comments.


Op Ed News
“Does the DC Fiasco Damn Internet Voting?”
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Does-the-DC-Fiasco-Damn-In-by-William-J-Kellehe-101015-957.html


SSRN
“Scary Stories Fail to Stop Internet Voting”

Abstract:
Rather than using the results of scientific testing, and probability calculation, opponents of Internet voting have commonly resorted to telling scary stories about what might happen. In 2004 this tactic had spectacular success. The Department of Defense had already spent over $22,000,000 on an Internet voting project. It was ready to be used in the 2004 November election, but well publicized scary stories had it halted.

Since that time, state election officials, the military, and DoD have regained their reason, and Internet voting is coming back.

At, http://ssrn.com/author=1053589 (free download)

William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.
[e-mail]