[Michael Stack: Voting by Computer]

[Michael J. Chinni, SMCAR-CCS-E]

F Y I

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Date:    Sat, 10 Dec 88 16:08 CST
From: Michael Stack <A01MES1 at niu.bitnet>
Subject: Voting by Computer
To: Security Topics Discussion List <SECURITY%pyrite.rutgers.edu at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
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On the outside chance that there may be subscribers to this list who
have not yet seen it:  there is a fascinating (and long) article in
the Nov 7 issue of The New Yorker on the subject "Voting by Computer".

   If ninety-five million Americans vote on Tuesday, November 8th,
   the decisions expressed by about fifty-two million of them will
   be tabulated according to rules that programmers and operators
   unknown to the public have fed into computers.

   Would {a "logic-and-accuracy public test"} discover, for example,
   a "time bomb" set to start transferring a certain proportion of
   votes from one candidate to another at a certain time, or any
   other programmers' tricks?
   "Of course not," Naegerle said. "It's not a test of the system.
   It's not security!"

I encourage anyone concerned with the problems of computer security
to find and read this article.  It's an eye-opener, even for those
of us acquainted or involved with security issues.

Michael Stack
Northern Illinois University


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