New York Times: "Electronic Vote Faces Big Test of Security"

[flpoljunkie]

http://nytimes.com/2004/02/28/politics/campaign/28VOTE.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

February 28, 2004

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

KENNESAW, Ga. — Millions of voters in 10 states will cast ballots on Tuesday in the single biggest test so far of new touchscreen voting machines that have been billed as one of the best answers to the Florida election debacle of 2000. But many computer security experts worry that the machines could allow democracy to be hacked.

Here in Georgia, along with Maryland and California, an estimated six million people will be using machines from Diebold Election Systems, which has been the focus of the biggest controversy.

Independent studies have found flaws in Diebold's system that researchers say might allow hackers or corrupt insiders to reprogram the touchscreens or computers that tally the votes, without leaving a trace.

Without a paper record of every vote or some other way to verify voters' choices after the fact, these experts warn, elections may lose the public's trust.

"People complain about hanging chads," said Aviel D. Rubin, technical director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a co-author of the first study that found security flaws in the Diebold machines. "But if an electronic machine has malicious code in it, it's possible that all of the chads are hanging — and then you have to question every vote."

more...

[boobooday]

1. Diebold

I was just reading on Common Dreams -- an excellent point.

Every machine Diebold makes prints out a receipt of the transaction EXCEPT their voting machines. Interesting.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[masshole]

9. What are their reasons?

What has Diebold said is their reason for not including any method of verifying the individual voters choice?

[snoochie]

2. Why aren't the candidates bringing this up?

How about a little more visibility on this issue? I'm about to call every one of their campaigns.

:grr:

[kalian]

3. I think it would be much more "corrupt insiders" than hackers....

that will screw around with these machines.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Absolutely. How in the world can we use BBV when hacking untraceable???

I understand that Bob Graham has introduced a bill in the Senate to require a voter verified paper ballot.

The Rethugs control Congress. We will have to pressure Congress to fix these machines, owned by big GOP contributors. Am very pleased New York Times continues to write about this issue.

[gristy]

5. What "Test of Security"

And let's parse this quote from Diebold:

The company has worked to fix all security issues that researchers have described, said David Bear, a Diebold spokesman. "Those things have not only already been addressed," he said, "they were implemented."

The first sentence says they have (note past tense) worked to fix all security issues. So they're done working on it? Sigh. And very different from "have fixed all security issues".

The second sentence refers to something called "those things". A uncareful reader might think Diebold is referring to "security issue fixes", but that would not be allowed in a more rigorous reading of the quote, since the only noun the Diebold spokesman had referred to so far is "security issues". When I replace "security issues" for "Those things" and "they" in the second sentence, I get this:

"Security issues have not only already been addressed," he said, "security issues were implemented."

Oh, it you say, so. Idiot.

And then there's the headline for this friggin' article:

Electronic Vote Faces Big Test of Security

What test of security? If there's no paper record, no audit trail, there's nothing to friggin' test! The article is ok, but the headline writer is clearly not clued in.

[w4rma]

6. Heh. "Security issues were implemented."

Security issues were created.
Security problems were implemented.
Security problems were created.

[tryanhas]

7. Don't worry...

...they will make sure that Mr. Skull and Bones wins the primary, just like they did in New Hampshire.

[trumad]

8. So it's a Skull and Bones conspiracy?

OK Mulder, anything you say...

[tryanhas]

11. Skull and Bones...

...owns the special interests.

The special interests own the electronic voting machines, and hack them.

If you can't understand that, go back to grade school.

[trumad]

13. Dude...I've been on the BBV bandwagon in the early days of Bev Harris

Please don't lecture me with your conspiracy theories without proof because it makes you sound silly....Your little jab at Kerry is is what I understand perfectly!

[tryanhas]

14. Skull and Bones...

...owns the special interests.

The special interests own the electronic voting machines, and hack them.

If you can't understand that, go back to grade school.

As if I care about silliness.

I think it's silly to nominate a LOSER like John Kerry.

[trumad]

15. Well of course you do

why is that such a surprise? Thanks for bringing so much to the table..:eyeroll:

[newsguyatl]

10. look for this

on cnn monday.

5p hour.

finally, this is getting mainstream attention.

[gristy]

12. Excellent! Thanks for the heads up, News Guy!