Diebold Compromised Its Own Voting Machine Security

[Jeanette in FL]

Diebold Compromised Its Own Voting Machine Security

A photo of the key on its Web site helped reproduce real duplicate keys that can open the controversial voting machines.

By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek

Jan 25, 2007 06:00 PM

Chalk up another problem for embattled voting machine maker Diebold. This time, however, the culprit is Diebold itself.

The latest security lapse for Diebold is a product of the company's own marketing: A picture of a voting machine key on the Diebold Web site has been used to create real duplicate keys that can open Diebold's voting machines.

"Diebold's AccuVote-TS electronic voting machines have lousy security," security researcher J. Alex Halderman declared in a blog post on Tuesday.

The revelation follows other dilemmas for Diebold. Various media reports suggest malicious software can be installed on Diebold voting machines and the lock securing the machines can be opened with a simple hotel minibar key.

~snip~

Diebold did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

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ttp://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197000676

[Kiouni]

1. and democracy lives on! n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Yet, Diebold has no problem

securing their ATM machines.

Seems their lousy security is on purpose. Makes it so much easier for their friends to hack the votes when they need a little extra push.