Comments on: Whistleblower: Diebold doesn't care about election security http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Election can be stolen in “under a minute” with Diebold machines - Homeland Stupidity http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2670 Election can be stolen in “under a minute” with Diebold machines - Homeland Stupidity Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:30:44 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2670 [...] Considering that Diebold election equipment is about as secure as Swiss cheese, as confirmed by numerous reports over the last couple of years, that the company doesn’t care about election security, and that that’s why they were run out of North Carolina, I don’t think it will mean all that much that the researchers didn’t wait for peer review. You can peer review it for yourself by watching the researchers’ video of the process. [...] [...] Considering that Diebold election equipment is about as secure as Swiss cheese, as confirmed by numerous reports over the last couple of years, that the company doesn’t care about election security, and that that’s why they were run out of North Carolina, I don’t think it will mean all that much that the researchers didn’t wait for peer review. You can peer review it for yourself by watching the researchers’ video of the process. [...]

]]> By: Diebold tries to evade North Carolina election law - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2669 Diebold tries to evade North Carolina election law - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:48:51 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2669 [...] 2004 Election 2004 Election Hacked?Recount OhioIt's official: Vote fraud found in FloridaWhy the Ohio recount doesn't matterFirst arrests for vote fraudCobb: Voting machine vendor tampered with Ohio recountBush wins Ohio recount...or did he?And now, the next governor of Ohio...How the exit polls were FUBARedTransparent lobbying for e-voting reform this weekDiebold Opti-Scan election hack demonstratedParties seek to reform Florida electionsWhistleblower: Diebold doesn't care about election securityDiebold tries to evade North Carolina election lawDiebold to North Carolina: We're leavingNorth Carolina compromises election integrityVotes altered on Diebold election equipmentDiebold quits North Carolina [...] [...] 2004 Election 2004 Election Hacked?Recount OhioIt’s official: Vote fraud found in FloridaWhy the Ohio recount doesn’t matterFirst arrests for vote fraudCobb: Voting machine vendor tampered with Ohio recountBush wins Ohio recount…or did he?And now, the next governor of Ohio…How the exit polls were FUBARedTransparent lobbying for e-voting reform this weekDiebold Opti-Scan election hack demonstratedParties seek to reform Florida electionsWhistleblower: Diebold doesn’t care about election securityDiebold tries to evade North Carolina election lawDiebold to North Carolina: We’re leavingNorth Carolina compromises election integrityVotes altered on Diebold election equipmentDiebold quits North Carolina [...]

]]> By: Diebold quits North Carolina - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2668 Diebold quits North Carolina - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:22:00 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2668 [...] 2004 Election 2004 Election Hacked?Recount OhioIt's official: Vote fraud found in FloridaWhy the Ohio recount doesn't matterFirst arrests for vote fraudCobb: Voting machine vendor tampered with Ohio recountBush wins Ohio recount...or did he?And now, the next governor of Ohio...How the exit polls were FUBARedTransparent lobbying for e-voting reform this weekDiebold Opti-Scan election hack demonstratedParties seek to reform Florida electionsWhistleblower: Diebold doesn't care about election securityDiebold tries to evade North Carolina election lawDiebold to North Carolina: We're leavingNorth Carolina compromises election integrityVotes altered on Diebold election equipmentDiebold quits North Carolina [...] [...] 2004 Election 2004 Election Hacked?Recount OhioIt’s official: Vote fraud found in FloridaWhy the Ohio recount doesn’t matterFirst arrests for vote fraudCobb: Voting machine vendor tampered with Ohio recountBush wins Ohio recount…or did he?And now, the next governor of Ohio…How the exit polls were FUBARedTransparent lobbying for e-voting reform this weekDiebold Opti-Scan election hack demonstratedParties seek to reform Florida electionsWhistleblower: Diebold doesn’t care about election securityDiebold tries to evade North Carolina election lawDiebold to North Carolina: We’re leavingNorth Carolina compromises election integrityVotes altered on Diebold election equipmentDiebold quits North Carolina [...]

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2667 Michael Hampton Wed, 21 Sep 2005 13:14:38 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2667 Billy, stick around, for I'm all about exposing homeland stupidity, and there's a lot of it. I don't even use Diebold ATMs anymore. Not if I actually want money, anyway... Billy, stick around, for I’m all about exposing homeland stupidity, and there’s a lot of it.

I don’t even use Diebold ATMs anymore. Not if I actually want money, anyway…

]]> By: Billy http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2666 Billy Wed, 21 Sep 2005 05:02:04 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2666 IO ERROR, yes I see what you mean now. What they actually did is simpler than the hardware cheat I described. I am astounded that a system so vulnerable to tampering is being used for anything more than electing dog catchers and bingo club presidents. It just goes to show you what happens when tehnology gets into the hands of idiots. I am sure an electronic vote tallying system could be designed that would be faster and more secure than paper ballots but the Diebold system is GARBAGE and needs to be removed IMMEDIATELY. IO ERROR, yes I see what you mean now. What they actually did is simpler than the hardware cheat I described.

I am astounded that a system so vulnerable to tampering is being used for anything more than electing dog catchers and bingo club presidents. It just goes to show you what happens when tehnology gets into the hands of idiots.

I am sure an electronic vote tallying system could be designed that would be faster and more secure than paper ballots but the Diebold system is GARBAGE and needs to be removed IMMEDIATELY.

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2665 Michael Hampton Tue, 20 Sep 2005 15:57:52 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2665 Like most of what Diebold has said, that's not true either. Many jurisdictions use the modems. Like most of what Diebold has said, that’s not true either. Many jurisdictions use the modems.

]]> By: tyler http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2664 tyler Tue, 20 Sep 2005 15:53:31 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2664 These machines are bad. They do have modems, supposedly none of them are enabled though. Not sure why they'd even include a modem in the machine if it's not used. I don't even know how the poll results from these machines are extracted. I would assume that the modem is used so the polling data can be downloaded to another box. But again, I thought Diebold claimed the modems weren't even activated in the machines being used. If the modem truly isn't used, it's obviously an intentional backdoor. It's probably really easy to get into...most likely just dropping you to a shell after you're connected so you can manipulate whatever you like on the system via a command line interface. But, I'm not too familiar with the whole Diebold story, so I'm probably way off. These machines are bad. They do have modems, supposedly none of them are enabled though. Not sure why they’d even include a modem in the machine if it’s not used.

I don’t even know how the poll results from these machines are extracted. I would assume that the modem is used so the polling data can be downloaded to another box. But again, I thought Diebold claimed the modems weren’t even activated in the machines being used.

If the modem truly isn’t used, it’s obviously an intentional backdoor. It’s probably really easy to get into…most likely just dropping you to a shell after you’re connected so you can manipulate whatever you like on the system via a command line interface.

But, I’m not too familiar with the whole Diebold story, so I’m probably way off.

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2663 Michael Hampton Tue, 20 Sep 2005 13:22:39 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2663 Billy, I think you'll find what they <em>actually</em> did is much simpler and far more insidious. You can dial in to any Diebold central tabulator that has a modem hooked up to it, and change the election results for whatever election they happen to be running, and it's not likely anyone will ever detect it. Oh, and I put up those links for your edification. Use them. :) Billy, I think you’ll find what they actually did is much simpler and far more insidious.

You can dial in to any Diebold central tabulator that has a modem hooked up to it, and change the election results for whatever election they happen to be running, and it’s not likely anyone will ever detect it.

Oh, and I put up those links for your edification. Use them. :)

]]> By: Billy http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2662 Billy Tue, 20 Sep 2005 08:09:02 +0000 http://www.ioerror.us/2005/09/19/whistleblower-diebold-doesnt-care-about-election-security/#comment-2662 I have a theory on how the Diebold machines could be made to cheat. I offer this theory for discussion here and I admit up front that I have never seen or used a Diebold but my experience designing and manufacturing digital circuits and programming microprocessors tells me the Diebold machine cannot be very complicated. The Diebold probably consists of: 1) a microprocessor 2) some RAM 3) keys voters press to register their vote 4) an LCD screen or printer that shows the totals after the polling station closes 5) software programmed into the microprocessor The software is very simple. The software causes the microprocessor to sense which key is pressed. If button A is pressed then candidate A gets 1 vote added to his total. If button B is pressed then candidate B gets 1 vote added to his total. The running totals are stored in the RAM. When the polling station closes the officers insert a key into a lock on the Diebold machine, turns the key, and the machine spits out the totals. How could such a device be made to cheat in favor of a certain candidate? There are 2 ways that I can think of. One way would be to tamper with the software. A software cheat would be the easiest to detect because the software can be easily analysed by most programmers. If the software was dishonest it would be spotted immediately. Another way would be to tamper with the microprocessor. It is possible to build a microprocessor that looks like the microprocessor Diebold says it puts in the machine but does not actually work the way that model of microprocessor is supposed to work. It would cheat and the cheat would, I think, be almost impossible to detect. Any thoughts on this? I have a theory on how the Diebold machines could be made to cheat. I offer this theory for discussion here and I admit up front that I have never seen or used a Diebold but my experience designing and manufacturing digital circuits and programming microprocessors tells me the Diebold machine cannot be very complicated.

The Diebold probably consists of:

1) a microprocessor
2) some RAM
3) keys voters press to register their vote
4) an LCD screen or printer that shows the totals after the polling station closes
5) software programmed into the microprocessor

The software is very simple. The software causes the microprocessor to sense which key is pressed. If button A is pressed then candidate A gets 1 vote added to his total. If button B is pressed then candidate B gets 1 vote added to his total. The running totals are stored in the RAM.

When the polling station closes the officers insert a key into a lock on the Diebold machine, turns the key, and the machine spits out the totals.

How could such a device be made to cheat in favor of a certain candidate? There are 2 ways that I can think of.

One way would be to tamper with the software. A software cheat would be the easiest to detect because the software can be easily analysed by most programmers. If the software was dishonest it would be spotted immediately.

Another way would be to tamper with the microprocessor. It is possible to build a microprocessor that looks like the microprocessor Diebold says it puts in the machine but does not actually work the way that model of microprocessor is supposed to work. It would cheat and the cheat would, I think, be almost impossible to detect.

Any thoughts on this?

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