Diebold Insider Comments on Voting System Flaw

Call Me Black Cloud writes "A Diebold insider is blowing the whistle on the company's continued lack of concern about security holes in its voting software. The insider wrote to Brad Friedman, a somewhat shrill political blogger, claiming the company is instructing technicians to keep quiet about the security flaws. This is despite the vulnerability being listed on the US-CERT website for the last year. A Diebold company rep admits the software can be remotely accessed via modem, but states, "it's up to a jurisdiction whether they wish to use it or not...I don't know of any jurisdiction that does that." The insider disputes that, claiming several counties in Maryland made use of the feature in 2004." This in addition to the fact that Blackboxvoting already hacked the system using a chimp last year.

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Ha! I knew it!

[Shadow Wrought]

I just knew that Bush didn't receive 130% of the vote, I knew it.

To the plank with the Diebold Scaliwags! Arr!

Re:Two words

[dancpsu]

Many Democrat Slashdotters are just hoping for a different version of "selected not elected" for the '04 election.

00' - selected by SCotUS
04' - selected by Diebold

Re:It had to be said.

[Dynedain]

It's only been a year?

Oh God, we are soooo screwed.

it makes sense

[kevin.fowler]

If there were tight security, it would be too hard for dead people to vote. Wouldn't that be a shame?

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Re:Interesting article

[bersl2]

Yeah, Diebold would love a face transplant; it's a bit too late for them to save the current one.

Re:It had to be said.

[saskboy]

You know the old computer saying:
"Garbage In / Garbage Out"

I'm not surprised that the Diebold model number of the voting machines last election were GIGO 5000s.

I for one...

[Zaurus]

I, for one, welcome our new...wait...that's odd. I thought I voted to _welcome_ the new hackable overlords, but it says here that I actually voted to boil them in oil. Weird.

Re:I have a question.

[veg_all]

Why are the handful of people who identify problems and try to get them solved "shrill"?

Because they have animated of gifs of rotating police lights on their websites? I dunno.

It's still getting better

[Lispy]

I hear the next version will vote itself. No more getting up and leaving the house. You get all the presidents you deserve just by sitting in front of the TV and complaining about the outcome.

Hardest comouting task EVER!

[SQLz]

I can see why making an electronic voting machine is such a difficult task. I mean, the code to add numbers together depending on what button was pushed sounds like some really hairy stuff.

Lets see

if(button==1)
      TirdSandwitch++;
else if(button==2)
      GiantDouche++;

As you can see, there are millions of bugs that could happen in this scenario.

Of course it is flawed!

[Anonymous Coward]

The machines were SUPPOSED to elect Kerry!!!

I'll be the Devil's Advocate....

[popo]

I'm a hardcore democrat, but ... just for purposes of discussion, I'll be the flamebait:

"Diebold threatened violators with immediate dismissal," the insider, who we'll call DIEB-THROAT, explained recently to The BRAD BLOG via email. "In 2005, after one newly hired member of Diebold's technical staff pointed out the security flaw, he was criticized and isolated."

Ok... so this whistle blower who worked for Diebold went to The New York Times? No. Went to The Washington Post? No. Went to a... newspaper? No. This whistleblower went to The Brad Blog. Any questions?