Safety and Security with Voting Machines
In this article published on State Tech Magazine’s website, web editor Phil Goldstein examines the network related complexities to securing voting and elections in our nation. Given the extensive media coverage on Russian interference in the 2016 election, many have been in talks about the possibility of any compromises in that election result. As the November midterms approach, it is yet again a topic on the minds of many Americans. Understanding whether the ballots Americans cast is at risk of interference is important, and on the other hand, this article looks at network segmentation specifically to consider voting machine security.
Goldstein writes that network segmentation is the process of splitting a computer network into subnetworks and it is this process that facilitates more adequate setup for counting election votes and ensuring security. In class, we’ve discussed connected components when we look at our network graphs, especially those that contain a significant fraction of all the nodes involved. If we set up a graph where the nodes are ballot workstations or votes, then we do indeed have a very large graph where votes for one candidate are likely to be connected in opposition to votes for another candidate. The article also discusses the use of separate network segments where only voting machines are present to further establish boundaries to maintain the election’s integrity. In this case, we may incorporate the use of a bridge, as we also discussed in class, so that it is the edge that connects a network graph or large connected component with voting machines, to those without.