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* Tribune…
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley said Monday that Russian operatives hacked into the State Board of Elections last year to view voter database files, a potential move toward trying to make voters distrust the state and federal election system.
“The Russians hacked into the Illinois State Board of Elections,” Quigley said after a meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.
“They got into the database,” he said. “I believe they’re on the doorstep to hacking into our voting systems. That is my educated guess.”
“I’m not saying I know they’ll do this, (but) think about what you could do. You could check and say, ‘Oh no, all these people already voted, or these people voted absentee.’ Once you get into that, then there’s all kind of mischief,” Quigley said. […]
[Ken Menzel, the general counsel of the State Board of Elections] said the state elections board does not tabulate votes, something that occurs in each of the state’s 102 counties and seven special local elections boards. Any toughening of tabulation would involve those local election officials. Menzel said that the manipulation Quigley theorized about would have minimal effect on balloting compared to normal human error at local precincts.
Menzel is right. The primary security focus should be on local elections boards, particularly the big ones like Chicago and Cook County.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 2:39 pm
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Hacking the voting system is harder than people think. Most aren’t networked and you would have to do the code modifications locally.
Maybe you could hack the updates before delivery, but that is still very different from hacking the ’system’ itself.
The key thing we are seeing with most of these hacks are the training of staff to recognize phishing attempts is incredibly weak. Your security system is only as good as the training of those who have access to the system. Too often with information security the focus is on better equipment or software which we should pay attention to, but the real weakness are the human beings using the system. Better software to isolate phishing attempts and strong training for everyone on how to recognize such attempts is the way to strengthen the system. The issue is that most programs for computer techs, networking staff, and information security staff don’t focus on the skills needed to train staff.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 2:55 pm
Could the Russians screw-up our democracy worse than we have?
Comment by Deadbeat Conservative Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 2:56 pm
First we get moose and squirrel.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 2:57 pm
Forgive my ignorance, but is he implying that the Russian government hired these operatives to meddle in our elections, or could it just be some hacking group that is based in Russia?
Comment by Clark Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:00 pm
Rest easy, gentle readers. We have our Top Persons on this budget crisis solution.
Comment by Puddintaine Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:08 pm
Mandrake, do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war?
He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Russian infiltration, Russian indoctrination, Russian subversion and the international Russian conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious electoral records.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:11 pm
I blame Trump.
Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:27 pm
Scratch that. I now blame Obama.
Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:28 pm
Quigley has been actively pushing the “Russian hacking conspiracy” that has produced no hard evidence to date. It is easier to blame foreign intrigues than to admit that HRC was a flawed candidate who ran a poor campaign that squandered every possible advantage and lost states which Democrats carried for more than thirty years.
Comment by Sheesh! Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:34 pm
===that has produced no hard evidence to date.===
Quigley is on the House Intelligence Committee. I suspect he’s seen whatever evidence exists. He isn’t claiming the Russians helped Trump win, he is claiming somebody from Russia hacked into Illinois’ election data system. And this was confirmed also by the BOE and others, if I’m not mistaken.
Sheesh, Sheesh!
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:39 pm
@47th Ward:
Put up or shut up. Seven months of anti-Trump hysteria and still no proof. Many of the rumors were of the tinfoil hat variety.
When we last checked the vote totals, Hillary carried Illinois by a substantial majority, so I doubt that any hack of the ISBE, which does not actually count votes, was a factor.
The ISBE admitted that their computer was hacked, but I am not positive that the hacker was identified.
Comment by Sheesh! Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:56 pm
===Put up or shut up. Seven months of anti-Trump hysteria and still no proof. Many of the rumors were of the tinfoil hat variety.
This story wasn’t about Trump. The person trying to make it about Trump appears to be you which raises a question of why.
Both private entities that track information security concerns and the federal government entities that do all seem to agree the election hacks in Arizona and Illinois were done by Russians. Some of the IPs were tracked back to Russia.
Not only that, but we have seen Russia interfering in several European elections in similar fashion. Without mentioning Trump, why is it that you doubt all of this?
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 4:07 pm
Hypocrisy rankles sometimes.
I seem to remember Obama assuring a Russian that he would have “greater flexibility” after the 2012 election and the Russian promised to deliver the message to Vladimir.
There was also the former Secretary of State who worked to sell American uranium to Russia. What was her name?
One Democrat, in a moment of candor, admitted that the strategy is simply to discredit Trump by whatever means possible, as there is no expectation of proving the rumors.
Comment by Sheesh! Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 4:19 pm
To insure the highest integrity, sanctity of the vote, the machines should be very carefully monitored.
Paper ballots are best. They are less easy to be compromised by any groups with bad intentions.
Comment by cdog Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 4:36 pm
Going with Sheesh on this one. (I have a similar comment caught in comment purgatory so trying again with a different version.)
IPs tracked to Russia? Y’all must have missed the Vault 7 updates on what the CIA, under Obama, has been up to with “Marble.”
“Marble” — a forensic attribution double game with obfuscation string algorithms.
Google it.
It is not wise to have unearned certainty about the origin of a blackhat action. There are too many players with mischievous agendas on their minds.
GA actually busted the CIA trying to penetrate their election databases.
Comment by cdog Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 4:48 pm
I live in Russia. You should be aware of the huge paranoia in Illinois (and elsewhere in America) about Russia. Most state of Illinois websites are closed to access from Russia. Even the Springfield newspaper closed its site to access from Russia. Most of these measures are silly. I do not think Russians are interested in many of the state’s websites. I doubt they are reading the Illinois newspapers. Russia has a balanced budget, low taxes, and a stable pension system by the way.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 4:58 pm
In Soviet Russia, the newspaper reads you!
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:01 pm
—In Soviet Russia, the newspaper reads you!
Pretty sure Yakov references get you a year in the gulag for bad taste.
====Paper ballots are best. They are less easy to be compromised by any groups with bad intentions.
Research is pretty clear that the best system overall is the optical scan ballots which are as good as you are going to get as an audit trail. They have the least undervotes of any system. The only minor issue are screened voting systems help with those who have disabilities.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:04 pm
The Intercept has more on the efforts by the Russians to hack election related systems
https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/
Two critical issues here–they were targeting local officials with phishing attempts. Again, training to avoid phishing is critical.
Second, other than Louisiana any effort to hack the actual vote would have to be done in the software updates going out to local jurisdictions or on site. Louisiana has a networked voting system.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:10 pm
===a year in the gulag for bad taste.===
Agreed. I was way out of line on that one. My apologies.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:10 pm
“Putin’s forces vs Madigan’s Illinois Combine in electioneering battle royale?”
—–Kass’s headline tomorrow.
Comment by Ace Laredo Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:17 pm
===Agreed. I was way out of line on that one. My apologies.
That’s okay, Jack D. Ripper references buy you a lot of credit.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:18 pm
===“Putin’s forces vs Madigan’s Illinois Combine in electioneering battle royale?”
—–Kass’s headline tomorrow===
“Well there are certain sections of Madigan’s 13 Ward that I wouldn’t advise the Russians to try to invade”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:21 pm
Getting caught in comment filters. Trying again.
Going with Sheesh on this one.
IPs tracked to Russia? You’all must have missed the “Marble” update in a few months ago.
“Marble” — a forensic attribution double game with obfuscation algorithms
Google it.
An observer really needs to maintain zero confidence in any attributions regarding blackhat cyber events.
Comment by cdog Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:31 pm
Cdog, read the intercept report.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 5:37 pm
47th, I did. It’s a little all over the place but I think I get it. Going to reread.
Comment by cdog Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 8:49 pm
Quigley’s comment that “it’s my educated guess” and additional comments about what “could” happen seem to be unfounded and reckless. There is enough fake news out there. We don’t need this crap.
Comment by justacitizen Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:12 pm
25 y.o. contractor with top secret security clearance has been arrested in Georgia for printing and mailing classified docs to The Intercept.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:37 pm
Sooooooo, Mike suggests that Trump won Illinois?
Comment by Tom Slick Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:16 pm