AS IT IS 2016-08-22 Hacking the U.S. Election 'Possible' But Difficult, Experts Say

AS IT IS 2016-08-22 Hacking² the U.S. Election 'Possible' But Difficult, Experts Say

As recently as 2014, people could use WiFi to connect to voting machines inside certain voting places in the state of Virginia. They simply had to be nearby. Once connected, they could interfere³ with ballots⁵.

That major problem in election security has been fixed⁶. Virginia stopped using those machines last year. 

But election cybersecurity is getting a closer look.

Republican Party presidential nominee⁷ Donald Trump⁸ has repeatedly suggested that the election in November may be rigged. And, a politically sensitive hacking of the Democratic National Committee computer system increased public concern about election cybersecurity.

Security experts say the risks are real. But, the probability of attacks on voting cybersystems is hard to estimate.

Every machine a possible target

David Wagner is a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley. He worked on a 2007 statewide examination of California's voting system.

He says a sophisticated attacker could hack¹ machines and steal votes. He says every machine is at risk. But, such a hack would not be easy, he says.

"It would require considerable technical sophistication. And it would require someone to be physically¹⁰ present in each county, tampering¹¹ with at least one machine. This is not something that some random¹² teenager can do over a weekend. It's not something that can be done from across the world over the Internet."

Hard-copy ballots help 

The best defense¹³ against cheating is a system that has a hard-copy ballot⁴ and a system in place to look for ballot irregularities. 

These systems are on the rise. This November, 75 percent of voters across the United States will vote on machines that retain a hard copy of their choices, says Verified Voting. It is an election observation organization.

Also, 26 states require ballot audits¹⁴ after the voting.

But that leaves 25 percent of voters entering ballots with no paper copy. And nearly half of the 50 states do not require audits. 

Wagner says a lot more can and should be done to improve cybersecurity. But, he adds, "We've come a long way in protecting our elections." 

Locks and keys

If attackers want to hack voting machines, they would have to get to them first.

"Most of them are under lock and key," says Denise Merrill, Connecticut secretary of state and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State. 

Usually they are under two keys, in fact -- one for a Republican representative and one for a Democrat⁹. Both keys are required to unlock the machine. 

Local jurisdictions¹⁶ control their elections, and there are more than 7,000 jurisdictions nationwide. The voting equipment and methods differ widely from place to place.

As a result, security can differ widely. But, that also means an attack on one jurisdiction¹⁵ would not affect the others.

Secretary of State Merrill says someone who is really determined¹⁷ and had a very large operation might be able to attack. "But,” she says, “even then, it would have to be in very specific places."

Safety comes from understanding risks 

Pam Smith is president of Verified Voting, the election observation organization. She says more states are already moving toward paper ballots and increased physical security of voting equipment. 

"I think what will happen as we go forward is that people will want to have any and every extra tool they can to eliminate any lingering concerns or questions that people might have."

The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, spoke¹⁸ to state election officials Monday. He offered them help in finding and fixing election cybersecurity risks.

The department is considering designating the nation’s election systems as “critical infrastructure¹⁹.” The government provides extra resources to protect critical infrastructure.

Verified Voting’s Pam Smith has another idea for anyone concerned about possible election cheating.

"It's not too late to sign up to be a poll worker. You can learn more about it from the inside out and see what some of the safeguards are.”

On November 8, those safeguards – as well as the presidential candidates – will be put to the test.

Words in This Story

rigged - v. having fixed something for a desired result; to control, usually through dishonest methods

sophisticated - adj. having or showing a lot of knowledge or experience about the world; highly developed

tampering - v. to interfere with so as to weaken or change for the worse

random - n. without aim, direction or rule

irregularities - n. things that are not usual, often a sign of dishonest behavior

audits - n. complete and careful examinations of official records

jurisdictions - n. areas where a system of laws is used

determined - v. found to be the cause of or reason for something; to lean or find out

specific - adj. special; clearly and exactly presented

eliminate - v. to remove; to defeat and remove

linger - v. to stay somewhere after the usual or expected time; to continue to exist as time passes

designating - v. to officially choose someone or something; to be used as a name for something

poll - adj. of or related to a study of public opinion

1 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

2 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

7 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

11 tampering   

v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样，布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句

12 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 audits   

n.审计，查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计，查账( audit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
• Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观，稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网

15 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

16 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

17 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

18 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

19 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。