The Election System - Can We Fix It? Yes, We Can!

BiaSciLab Sunday, July 26, 2020: 1700. As security experts around the world have proven, our voting equipment and infrastructure are very vulnerable to multiple types of attacks. Instead of focusing on problems and broken things, this talk will focu...

BiaSciLab

Sunday, July 26, 2020: 1700. As security experts around the world have proven, our voting equipment and infrastructure are very vulnerable to multiple types of attacks. Instead of focusing on problems and broken things, this talk will focus on simple fixes that vendors and governments can put into action right now.

Starting with the machines themselves, then moving through parts of the entire system, BiaSciLab will offer suggestions on how simple practices and changes in thinking and hiring can improve the security of the entire system. At the Defcon 26 r00tz asylium, BiaSciLab was one of the first to hack the mock election reporting system set up by the voting village. Some have pointed out that this was a purposely flawed system designed for the kids to break. However, as outlined in the Mueller report, Russian hackers used the same SQL injection technique to break into an election reporting system. If our systems are so secure, how was this able to happen? Lack of secure coding practices and both peer and outside review. If proper coding review and application testing had happened, this SQL injection vulnerability would have been found and fixed.

Breaking down these flaws and offering real solutions for each one, BiaSciLab will bring hope in the face of this daunting and complex security problem.