Slashdot Mirror
Voting Machines Can Be Easily Compromised, Symantec Demonstrates (cbsnews.com)
An anonymous Slashdot reader quotes a report from CBS News:
For the hackers at Symantec Security Response, Election Day results could be manipulated by an affordable device you can find online. "I can insert it, and then it resets the card, and now I'm able to vote again," said Brian Varner, a principle researcher at Symantec, demonstrating the device...
Symantec Security Response director Kevin Haley said elections can also be hacked by breaking into the machines after the votes are collected. "The results go from that machine into a piece of electronics that takes it to the central counting place," Haley said. "That data is not encrypted and that's vulnerable for manipulation."
40 states are using a voting technology that's at least 10 years old, according to the article. And while one of America's national election official argues that "there are paper trails everywhere," CBS reports that only 60% of states conduct routine audits of their paper trails, while "not all states even have paper records, like in some parts of swing states Virginia and Pennsylvania, which experts say could be devastating."
Symantec Security Response director Kevin Haley said elections can also be hacked by breaking into the machines after the votes are collected. "The results go from that machine into a piece of electronics that takes it to the central counting place," Haley said. "That data is not encrypted and that's vulnerable for manipulation."
40 states are using a voting technology that's at least 10 years old, according to the article. And while one of America's national election official argues that "there are paper trails everywhere," CBS reports that only 60% of states conduct routine audits of their paper trails, while "not all states even have paper records, like in some parts of swing states Virginia and Pennsylvania, which experts say could be devastating."
It doesn't scale, and every voter would need a private encryption key that can't leak....
I'm just happy a security company has finally been able to get one of these machines to demonstrate how bad it is. Most of the more major but less visible outside of the field researchers have been screaming for a decade that there are obvious flaws but haven't been able to get their hands on the machines to prove them.
The only thing, it had to be Symantec, really... The one company that is too large for it's own good, uses unnecessary scare tactics to fleece customers and has suffered it's own fair share of security failures. Only good thing I see with Symantec doing it is maybe they are well known enough that the powers that be might take note.
It's getting pretty bad. My karma has taken a beating. Simply put, Slashdot is the Donald Trump Forum, and if you're not advocating for him to be president and demanding imprisonment for Clinton, you're going to pay. I'm going to be honest, after being here since 2003, I'm just about ready to leave simply because mod points are being handed out to some of the most regressive people around, the very same kind of people that endlessly whine about how they're being censored for their views.
In fact, I'm not even sure why I'm here now. This place sucks, and not because of new owners or advertising, but simply because it has become a den of libertarian reactionaries who hate everything and everyone.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
I gather you didn't even read my post. I'm not complaining about opposing view points, I'm complaining about Trump supporters who attack opposing view points by using mod points to silence criticism.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
"So you are saying you've grown 6 inches, gained 200 lbs, changed your hair & eye colors as well as your sex... that's the reason you don't look anything like your photo from 20 years ago? Ok... here is your ballot."
Little different than the ID-less system we have today, just mention a name on a street and get offered a ballot: http://projectveritas.com/2016...
In my state we have vote by mail and I don't get sent a ballot unless I'm registered under my correct address. My ID is my signature on the outside of the ballot envelope which gets compared to my signature on my registration. It a system that works well.
Where I come from ID is mandatory... you cannot exist here w/o it. (Sweden) You get a personal identity number when you are born. Which makes voting simple. Voting also always takes place on Sundays, when working people are free, and we don't have electronic voting systems because that would be really bad...
1) You should have an ID, and it should be super easy to get it.
2) You should have to prove your identity when voting
3) You should not have to take a day of in order to vote.
4) Electronic voting should never be allowed, since it can always be hacked. Voting over internet is even worse, since then people can buy votes, or coerce others to vote against their will.
From an outside perspective the voting system in the US is insane.
Simply put, Slashdot is the Donald Trump Forum, and if you're not advocating for him to be president and demanding imprisonment for Clinton, you're going to pay. I'm going to be honest, after being here since 2003, I'm just about ready to leave simply because mod points are being handed out to some of the most regressive people around, the very same kind of people that endlessly whine about how they're being censored for their views.
I actually keep track of the sentiment on Slashdot, both from the responses to my posts and general mood for certain topics. One topic I keep track of is the Clinton/Trump thing.
Firstly, don't feel like you need to leave because of the Trump/Clinton thing. In prior presidential election years, Slashdot goes to hell starting about 6 weeks before the election, and becomes unbearably dumb about 2 weeks before. Partisan sock puppets from both camps do nothing but carp and snipe and insult anyone who tries to post a political view.
It's happened before, and it's happening right now as well.
It's worse this year, probably a combination of a) this particular election is especially contentious, b) a lot of people are hurting and want to see change(*), and c) internet attendance is higher now than it was 4 or 8 years ago (and will probably be even higher 4 years from now).
Whiplash asked for suggestions when he took over, and I mentioned this specific point in a response.
Secondly, I monitor my own style and set goals for my posts. I'm currently working controversial posts, and this fits in well with my support of Trump.
What I've found is that all of the posts on either side are simple blind insults. Clinton is dirty and corrupt, Trump is a racist and bigot, there's not much else to see here. I've even called out the readership, asking for any *rational* reason to vote for Clinton over Trump (my particular choice - it would work as well the other way). No one has ever put forth a reasonable and rational reason for one candidate over the other(**).
Thirdly, it's easy to get around the mod point system simply by posting actual content. Make an insightful post--a way of looking at things that make sense and that someone else may have missed--and back it up with some links.
I've found that there are enough people here who still appreciate an interesting point, than there are partisans who will automatically down-vote something they don't like. I know this because my own posts get voted up *and* down (yes, I monitor my posts over time), and the up votes always win out eventually. It sometimes takes a couple of hours, but it almost always happens.
I believe that there are more intelligent and mature people reading this forum than there are partisan hacks, but these same people aren't interested in getting involved(***), or are too busy with life, or don't like getting insulted.
Lastly, note that Trump has the support of a fair slice of American voters right now. You can claim that he doesn't have enough support to win, but that's not the point: if 30% of the electorate is pro Trump, you'll see a lot of support here. Just like there was for Sanders, just like there was for Romney.
Take the trouble to think through your opinion (it helps if you come to your own opinion, rather than use someone else's (****)), post links to support your position, and don't insult and snipe people.
When you do this, the mature and honest readers will support you.
(*) In prior elections, both D and R were still "more of the same".
(**) One anonymous exception, I tried to encourage them to get an account and continue, and haven't heard from them since.
(***) I want to improve my public writing skills, and I use Slashdot as my practice range.
(****) Years ago I saw a clip of Christopher Hitchens, who comes to his own views on things, and it really stuck with me.
International observers occasional show up in the US for elections, and they are astounded by how weak and untrustworthy our elections are. No ID required? No marking of hands or fingers? Ballots left alone, but still counted?
It's embarrassing when the Somali elections were more robust than the US ones.