Vulnerable voting machines

ES&S iVotronic DRE. © iStock.

A recent report revealed that the voting machines used in 26 American States as well as in the District of Columbia have a serious security flaw. Election Systems & Software’s Model 650’s update procedures pose a security risk that had been identified in a report commissioned by Ohio’s secretary of State back in… 2007. While Election Systems & Software stopped manufacturing the Model 650 in 2008, the technically obsolete machines are still widely used today in the United States. Researchers have also discovered other security flaws on the Model 650, as well as flaws on many other current models of voting machines. For example, another machine, currently used in 18 States, can be hacked in just two minutes, while it takes about six minutes to vote. Democracy should worry. Prominent experts are urging state and local officials to employ paper ballots and post-election audits in order to mitigate against cybersecurity threat.

⇨ DEF CON, “Report on Cyber Vulnerabilities in U.S. Election Equipment, Databases, and Infrastructure [PDF].”

⇨ CNET, “Half of US states using voting machines with a known vulnerability, says report.”