Diebold voting machines hacked
I was just looking at Voting Machines Can Be Hacked, Diebold CEO Resigns, a webpage on wanttoknow.info that someone forwarded to me.
This is full of nonsense and sensationalism! It's not worth anyone wasting their time on.
I am no Diebold fan, but stating that someone who had access to a Diebold could "hack it" is ludicrous. "Access" is the key word. Anything can be hacked once you have direct "access." Consider this as a basic principle of security! Someone gets access and the game is over - you lose.
Even forgetting computers, voting machines and the like, paper ballets can be "hacked" if you have direct access - for example if they are sitting in from of you!
The election official's comment about there being no paper trail hence it is unreliable, is equally ridiculous. He might as well be making expert commentary on molecular biology or brain surgery - he is obviously not trained nor qualified to comment on these or on data security issues. A paper trail is no more guarantee of accountability, reliability, or accuracy than a crystal ball.
Diebold machines have problems - there is no doubt. There are some basic principles of security that are violated in their programming. It's unfortunately not surprising either as security is almost always an afterthought in any computer programming.
Professionally speaking, that part of the Website, although perhaps well intentioned, is a "load of crap!" It's so bad that I'm not going to waste my time looking at any more of the Web site - they have no credibility left.
This is full of nonsense and sensationalism! It's not worth anyone wasting their time on.
I am no Diebold fan, but stating that someone who had access to a Diebold could "hack it" is ludicrous. "Access" is the key word. Anything can be hacked once you have direct "access." Consider this as a basic principle of security! Someone gets access and the game is over - you lose.
Even forgetting computers, voting machines and the like, paper ballets can be "hacked" if you have direct access - for example if they are sitting in from of you!
The election official's comment about there being no paper trail hence it is unreliable, is equally ridiculous. He might as well be making expert commentary on molecular biology or brain surgery - he is obviously not trained nor qualified to comment on these or on data security issues. A paper trail is no more guarantee of accountability, reliability, or accuracy than a crystal ball.
Diebold machines have problems - there is no doubt. There are some basic principles of security that are violated in their programming. It's unfortunately not surprising either as security is almost always an afterthought in any computer programming.
Professionally speaking, that part of the Website, although perhaps well intentioned, is a "load of crap!" It's so bad that I'm not going to waste my time looking at any more of the Web site - they have no credibility left.
posted by Ted Demopoulos at 10:21 AM
Comments on "Diebold voting machines hacked"
post a comment