MIT report on voting app demonstrates criticality of election security legislation
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One of the online voting technologies that's already made it out for testing in five states is highly insecure, according to a new report published Thursday by researchers from MIT. The app can be hacked to alter, or block, or make ballots public, according tMIT report on voting app demonstrates criticality of election security legislation
One of the online voting technologies that's already made it out for testing in five states is highly insecure, according to a new report published Thursday by researchers from MIT. The app can be hacked to alter, or block, or make ballots public, according to the results of their testing. It was developed by Boston-based for-profit company Voatz, and has been used in actual elections in Denver, Oregon, and Utah, and in 2016 at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention and the Utah Republican Convention. It was also used for Americans voting overseas in the 2018 West Virginia midterms. Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden has been pushing for the Department of Defense and the NSA to audit Voatz after a report from CNN last fall and after attempting to get the company to answer his calls for the release of its internal security audits. «I raised questions about Voatz months ago, because cybersecurity experts have made it clear that internet voting isn't safe,» Wyden said in a statement obtained by Mother Jones. «Now MIT researchers say this app is deeply insecure and could allow hackers to change votes. Americans need confidence in our election system.» He added, «It is long past time for Republicans to end their election security embargo and let Congress pass mandatory security standards for the entire election system.» It most definitely is. Read more