Voting software makes Salon

[link|http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/10/30/vote_counting_software/| Farhad Manjoo] talks about Jaguar Computer Systems

Software used to count the votes in as many as 16 states has been found available on a publicly accessible Internet server. The files, which appear to reveal technical details about how votes are stored in machines made by Sequoia Voting Systems, have been accessible on the site for at least two years.

A computer programmer, who asked not to be named for fear of legal retaliation from Sequoia, says that he came upon the FTP server holding the files on Friday, when he visited the Web site of Jaguar Computer Systems, a computer consulting firm in Southern California that provides technical services to, among other customers, Riverside County. In the 2000 presidential election, Riverside became the first county in the nation to employ touch-screen machines in its precincts. Its machines are made by Sequoia.

Jaguar's site advertises its FTP server as a service to help clients who want to download files from the firm: "Our FTP site is ftp.jaguar.net," it says. "We support 'anonymous' logins and our '/PUB' directory is stuffed with many of the files that we use." When the activist logged in to this FTP site, he spotted a file called WinEDS200.zip -- a 44-megabyte file that turned out to be the installation program for software that tallies the votes in Sequoia's voting software.

When contacted for comment, Alfie Charles, a spokesman for Sequoia Voting Systems, was surprised to hear that the file was available on a public site. Later, Charles e-mailed Salon a statement denying responsibility for the security breach, but asserting that the availability of the code did not compromise the integrity of Sequoia's systems.

. . . Etc.

What funny ways we have of "electing" people. Maybe a combo of the 'box which turns all signals green' for you + this s/ware: can get your boy in. Or your Cocker Spaniel.

Post #123,383 by Ashton 10/30/03 2:09:29 AM Reply	Voting software makes Salon - Karsten? [link\|http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/10/30/vote_counting_software/\| Farhad Manjoo] talks about Jaguar Computer Systems Software used to count the votes in as many as 16 states has been found available on a publicly accessible Internet server. The files, which appear to reveal technical details about how votes are stored in machines made by Sequoia Voting Systems, have been accessible on the site for at least two years. A computer programmer, who asked not to be named for fear of legal retaliation from Sequoia, says that he came upon the FTP server holding the files on Friday, when he visited the Web site of Jaguar Computer Systems, a computer consulting firm in Southern California that provides technical services to, among other customers, Riverside County. In the 2000 presidential election, Riverside became the first county in the nation to employ touch-screen machines in its precincts. Its machines are made by Sequoia. Jaguar's site advertises its FTP server as a service to help clients who want to download files from the firm: "Our FTP site is ftp.jaguar.net," it says. "We support 'anonymous' logins and our '/PUB' directory is stuffed with many of the files that we use." When the activist logged in to this FTP site, he spotted a file called WinEDS200.zip -- a 44-megabyte file that turned out to be the installation program for software that tallies the votes in Sequoia's voting software. When contacted for comment, Alfie Charles, a spokesman for Sequoia Voting Systems, was surprised to hear that the file was available on a public site. Later, Charles e-mailed Salon a statement denying responsibility for the security breach, but asserting that the availability of the code did not compromise the integrity of Sequoia's systems. . . . Etc. What funny ways we have of "electing" people. Maybe a combo of the 'box which turns all signals green' for you + this s/ware: can get your boy in. Or your Cocker Spaniel.
Post #123,474 by kmself 10/30/03 2:51:22 PM Reply	What? You invoked my name? Because...? --\r\n Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com]\r\n [link\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]\r\n What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?\r\n [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/\|TWikIWETHEY] -- an experiment in collective intelligence. Stupidity. Whatever.\r\n \r\n Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.\r\n[link\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html]\r\n
Post #123,478 by Ashton 10/30/03 3:39:18 PM Reply	Thought you were particularly interested in the spread - of these pernicious new threats to the mere possibility of.. an Honest Election (!) occurring here someday, in the Embattled States of Murica. (But perhaps I confuse that with some quoted material on the e-maillist, and it isn't your bag) May Shub-Niggurath forgive an unwarranted rousing of the Wrath for the Commonweal! Rleh Cthulhu
Post #123,488 by ben_tilly 10/30/03 4:24:26 PM Reply	My name would have made more sense... and this story doesn't strike me as a huge deal by itself. I would be interested, though, if an analysis appears at some point of results from reverse-engineering the binary... Cheers, Ben "good ideas and bad code build communities, the other three combinations do not" - [link\|http://archives.real-time.com/pipermail/cocoon-devel/2000-October/003023.html\|Stefano Mazzocchi]
Post #123,503 by Ashton 10/30/03 6:43:22 PM Reply	Main significance I thought - interest outside of IT circles
Post #123,520 by boxley 10/30/03 9:47:30 PM Reply	its a spread :-) baaaa! "You're just like me streak. You never left the free-fire zone.You think aspirins and meetings and cold showers are going to clean out your head. What you want is God's permission to paint the trees with the bad guys. That wont happen big mon." Clete questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]

Welcome to IWETHEY!