usermark@mdrsesco.biz
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2018 20:37:02 -0400
In the United States federal elections are managed separately by the 50
states. Protections from hacking into voter registration rolls are left in
the hands of state legislatures and understaffed IT departments. The state
legislatures provide just enough money to get the elections done. They don't
provide for upgrading equipment and software to keep hackers out. They
don't provide guidelines on configuration. They don't advise people to
change their passwords frequently nor enforce such policy nor advise
rightful end users not to reply to an e-mail or phone call with a password.
And how about rules against running operating systems that don't get regular
patches to plug holes called "vulnerabilities." There are appliances that
can be stationed between a LAN and the Internet that are very effective, if
properly configured, in keeping the Russians out. SSLs and VPNs are very
handy. News reports make hacking sound as if it is the inevitable result of
using high technology when the problem is really with ignorance and
technophobia on the part of election managers and pennywise-pound-foolish
state legislatures.