[ale] OT: Voting machines cracked in California

[Randy Ramsdell]

Jim Popovitch wrote:
> I say that we dump the ballot boxes and voting machines and go back to
> resolving issues with dueling, wild west style.  :-)
>
> -Jim P.
>
>   
I agree as I currently want to stab you for top posting  even though you
know that it is considered rude on forums. Now  just check out the flow
of the conversation now that we have top posted.  It is out of logical
order you noob . :-)
> On Thu, 2007-08-02 at 14:01 -0400, Charles Shapiro wrote:
>   
>> Argh. Don't accuse me of minimizing the voting machine troubles which
>> have been published. I agree with you entirely.  I also believe that
>> access to the source is an advantage for this kind of endeavor.   So
>> is unlimited access to the physical hardware.  Neither is a necessary
>> precondition for a successful penetration of security.
>>
>> -- CHS
>>
>>
>> On 8/2/07, Jeff Lightner <jlightner at water.com> wrote:
>>         Not having source didn't prevent folks from reverse
>>         engineering the IBM BIOS in the original IBM PC which was the
>>         only IBM unique part it had.
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>         The idea one has to have source to hack is laughable indeed.
>>         Even more laughable is the idea that it would be difficult to
>>         get the source if you were determined to get it.
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>         This reminds me of the old Lou Grant show where they did a
>>         story about nuclear weapons.   The folks that had access to
>>         the weapons design information said it was easy to get but
>>         thought it was hard to get the fissionable material.   The
>>         people who were custodian of fissionable material said it
>>         would be easy to get but thought it was to get the design
>>         information.   Essentially the guys guarding each side both
>>         said their side was fairly easy to compromise but weren't
>>         worried because they "assumed" the other side was hard to
>>         compromise.
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>         One might stuff ballot boxes or deliberately miscount paper
>>         ballots but there would still be a way to verify the results
>>         after the fact using completely different counters.   If you
>>         don't believe that, you'd have to explain why Republicans and
>>         Democrats alike thought it necessary to be present at the
>>         recounts in Florida.
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>                                        
>>         ______________________________________________________________
>>         From:ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On
>>         Behalf Of Steve Brown
>>         Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 1:21 PM
>>         To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
>>         Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Voting machines cracked in California
>>         
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>          
>>         
>>         On 8/2/07, Charles Shapiro <hooterpincher at gmail.com> wrote:
>>         
>>           The guys who wrote this report had a bunch of advantages --
>>         among them were access to the source code and unlimited time
>>         to investigate the physical machines.  I'm not tryin' to
>>         discount the severity of the flaws they found, which were
>>         pretty way badd.  But there are two other reports from two
>>         other teams which have yet to be published. Felten suspects
>>         that these reports are even more damning.
>>         
>>         
>>         
>>         The thing is, these people seem to be assuming that since the
>>         source code is not publicly released that no one has access to
>>         it. What about the programmers that worked on the project?
>>         What about the people with the access keys? They are just as
>>         capable of compromising the system and they would have easier
>>         access to the system than any voter. I bet that Steve Weir guy
>>         buries his money in his back yard to keep it safe. Open Source
>>         is like giving a burglar your house keys? Give me a break...
>>         This thing should have been built from the ground up with
>>         security in mind, instead of slapped on as an afterthought.
>>         Was this one of those things that gets sent to the lowest
>>         bidder? 
>>         -Steve Brown
>>         
>>         
>>         
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