Is the US election system vulnerable to cyber attacks
The idea of voting online isn’t new. Former President Bill Clinton demanded that the National Science Foundation look into the viability of online ballots back in 1999. Online voting appears as a simple and effective solution and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention the controversies surrounding the mail-in ballots have led to growing interest in the possibility to conduct elections online. At first glance, it would be simpler for citizens, who don’t have to stand in lines at polling places or walk out to their mailboxes. Nevertheless, cyber security experts say that online voting systems aren’t exactly safe. Maybe in the following decade, we’ll discover what’s the best way to make online voting work.
Cyber criminals will directly target online voting platforms, so Internet voting is out of the question for the presidential elections
Cybersecurity remains an important issue and we can’t afford to ignore it. Cyber criminals, alongside hacktivists and nation-states, have their eyes set on voting platforms and voter registered databases. The aim is to interfere and even manipulate the elections to their advantage. According to TechRadar, the problem has been brought to attention by the controversy surrounding the Iowa Cactus app, created to announce the results of the first nominating contests in the Democratic Party. Many coding issues were identified, so the app was immediately labelled as dangerous. Regrettably, there are potential threats to the US election system. If it hasn’t been hacked by now, that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen in the future.
About 32 states and the District of Columbia offer Internet voting for the 2020 presidential elections in the form of fax, email, and online portals. Attention needs to be paid to the fact that these options are made available for voters in special circumstances, such as those serving in the military. Citizens abroad registered in the US are allowed to vote from their phones or online. Still, it’s recommended to use a VPN to create a secure connection between your computer and the interface you’re using. There are risks involved, just as there are risks with any activity on the Internet. If you’re using the best VPN for torrenting, you’re in luck because it protects you when downloading files anonymously, but it also keeps your personal data from malicious actors. it provides security and anonymity by default.
There’s no technology that can guarantee citizens’ votes aren’t compromised
Cyber security experts have been looking into the matter and reached the conclusion that there’s no technology that can maintain online voting free from danger. In spite of the fact that there are numerous companies selling products in this sense, professionals remain skeptical when it comes to legitimacy and safety. Taking into consideration the fact that the 2020 presidential elections are at the center of attention, it’s not worth compromising electoral security. Voting systems that rely on the World Wide Web are highly insecure, as opposed to on-paper ballots that can be audited and checked.
The fact of the matter is that it’s not possible to cut corners for the sake of convenience. What American citizens need is a trustworthy voting system that meets the security needs of the elections. People want to know that their vote will count, otherwise, they won’t be tempted to take part in the democratic process ever again. This means that each vote needs to be precisely counted. The online voting platforms of the future must feature powerful safety protocols and undergo rigorous testing. Malicious actors can target particular systems and there’s no way of knowing what they have on their agenda. Even if the number of citizens expected to vote this year is small it’s better to be safe than sorry. Internet voting is out of the question considering the high number of cyber attacks in the past year.
Given that we’re not close to a future of online voting, it’s necessary to vote in person or on Election Day. Or by mail. If you’re not already registered, don’t waste any more time. You can make a real difference in the election, so get over not voting even if you strongly disagree with both candidates. The information you need regarding registration deadlines is available in the state-by-state guides. Register to vote before it’s not too late.
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