Iowa GOP worried by hacker threat to caucus vote

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Taking seriously an apparent threat from a notorious collective of computer hackers, the Iowa Republican Party is boosting the security of the electronic systems it will use in two weeks to count the first votes of the 2012 presidential campaign. Investigators don't know if the threat is authentic, but it has nonetheless led the state party to confront a worst-case scenario. Their fear: an Iowa caucus marred by hackers who corrupt the database used to gather votes and crash the website used to inform the public about results that can shape the campaign for the White House. "With the eyes of the media on the state, the last thing we want to do is have a situation where there is trouble with the reporting system," said Wes Enos, a member of the Iowa GOP's central committee and the political director for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign in the state. "We don't want that to be the story." Confident in the existing safeguards protecting the vote count itself, Enos and other members of the party central committee told The Associated Press they recently authorized additional security measures aimed at ensuring hackers are unable to delay the release of caucus results.

The electric vote counters make me nervous as is. I am a little confused why a group would announce their plans to mess with the vote. Seems counterproductive. I was also a little surprised that some areas are still voting by a how of hands... Perhaps I misread that as I'm without the contacts.

Link

reply to post by Domo1


TPTB are laying the ground work for a potential Ron Paul win. If he wins, the hackers infiltrated the poll booths, if Ron Paul loses their security measures were successful and it was an honest poll.

Oh this is just WRONG. Does anyone else see this for a pre-made, pre-designed excuse for invalidating a WIN by Ron Paul in Iowa? I mean it's just close enough to being a possibility, and this crappy electronic machines have never seemed to bother the GOP or Dems BEFORE.... They are the first to tell everyone it's all secure and there is nothing to see.........until talking about hacker problems may actually benefit them. So THIS is how they'll take him down if he DOES win. I'd wondered.....now I wish I didn't know. It's sickening to watch.

reply to post by Domo1


I too fear the added `security` measures may involve adding something to each voting machine that counts ,say, every third vote for Paul.
I cant help it, I am a tad paranoid over this.

reply to post by litterbaux


That's what I'm thinking too. It seems VERY suspicious that a group would announce their plans to tamper with the votes.

reply to post by Domo1


What's even more suspicious is the fact the voting booths are "online". If there is a threat, pull the plug and do it offline.

They could never do this tho, it would make the threat obsolete.

Stay scared everyone, stay scared.

politics.slashdot.org...

Dangerous_Minds writes
"Some people feel that elections can be rigged and votes tampered with. One hacker, who goes by the name of Abhaxas, decided to prove that votes aren't secure by exposing parts of the Florida voting database. Said Abhaxas while posting the data, 'Who believes voting isn't tampered with?'"

Then they said they fixed it.

Dangerous_Minds writes
"A hacker that goes by the name of Abhaxas exposed parts of the Florida voting database. That apparently didn't sit well with election officials. Reportedly, officials said that authorities were contacted and that their databases are now more secure than ever. In turn, Abhaxas decided to hack the database again and reveal a file directory. Said Abhaxas in the posting, 'Glad you cleaned things up, pretty secure now guys.'"

He did it all over again.

Abhax worked for Department of Homeland Security as a contractor for internet security. He had posted it on twitter and got in trouble.He then burned his C|EH NSA-4011 certificate and posted it on the web in protest. His twitter account is gone now. He was forced to change his name ip addresses and other things sort of like a wittness protection of hackers I guess.




This link is about the complant that abhaxas or Boris Sverdlik got for posting data on twitter.
www.infosecisland.com...

Seems Boris got fired or quit Jaded Security who he was working for when this happened now he works for NopSec Inc.

www.linkedin.com...

I got in trouble for posting the information he did. But you can follow the first link I posted and find the information.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

If you can't win... cheat.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if this is the power play to make sure Ron Paul looks bad in the caucuses and, of course, blame it on Anonymous.

I live in Iowa and plan to vote for Dr. Paul in the caucus. I hope they use paper ballots. At least in my precinct.

reply to post by Domo1


I fear they are going to push us to far. Ron Paul fans are already seeing through the lies of the MSM. I truely believe they are preparing for his win. It will be the result of hackers. Unfortunetly for them this isnt going to work. They were there voting!

Although it will cause a backlash. Everytime they ignore us we call them on it.

reply to post by JBA2848


Ahh thanks for that additional info. Going over it now.

reply to post by Selfsecurity

I fear they are going to push us to far. Ron Paul fans are already seeing through the lies of the MSM. I truely believe they are preparing for his win.

It really wouldn't surprise me if that's what the real story is.

First thing that stuck my mind was the timing.. I mean, didn't Paul take over Newt in Iowa polls less than a week ago? Now, all of a sudden there is a 'hacking threat?'

And why is there only a hacking threat in Iowa?

reply to post by ReadyPower


Good questions.