Is Internet Voting Safe?
Is Internet Voting Safe?
As I mentioned in my
previous article named, "Changing Politics. Where are we heading?" social
media and the internet have transformed political practices worldwide. Internet
voting is one of the most proposed developments in the modern political era. Using
internet voting, sometimes known as e-voting, enables individuals to exercise
their voting rights from any location and at any given moment, as long as they
have access to a computer with internet connectivity. The implementation of
this measure has the potential to enhance the ease, accessibility, and
efficiency of engaging in electoral procedures, hence potentially resulting in
a rise in voter participation rates. For young individuals pursuing education
away from their place of residence, internet-based voting enables them to
engage in the electoral process without needing physical travel on the
designated Election Day.
In 2000, the United
States held the first legally binding election using Internet voting; several
countries have been testing and using Internet voting. Remote Internet voting
has been used in 14 countries for legally binding elections or referenda. The
current debatable question is whether the votes are safe. In this article, I
will examine the aspects of internet voting and evaluate the safety of this
political process.
Some significant drawbacks to Internet
voting have prevented it from gaining widespread acceptance, leading
cybersecurity and electoral experts to warn against its use. The following have
been pointed out as the main reasons for the caution:
Concerns Regarding
Protection of Votes
Attempts to implement online voting with
new and current standards for conducting elections have contributed to the
complexity of deploying such systems. The usual standards require that voter
authentication must be safe, the vote must remain secret, and there must be proper
transparency testing and certification processes. Implementing these standards
on internet voting continues to attract debates. One of the greatest obstacles is
more reliable systems for authenticating voters online. If the voter cannot be
authenticated, then the possibility that the votes are protected against
external forces is questionable. The authentication challenge has been a
problem for many long-standing democracies since they lack foolproof methods of
internet authentication, such as national ID cards.
Possibilities of
Cyber Attacks
The Organization of American States report indicates no history of electronic fraud. However, all online information
systems are vulnerable to the same types of fraud attacks as it is in
companies. While fraudulent computer system attacks are common in businesses,
and they can write off certain fraud losses simply as the cost of doing
business online, this is not an option when it comes to voting systems.
Cyberattacks might affect voting systems, including denial of service, advanced
persistent threats, malware, insider attacks, and compromised credentials.
Exposures in electronic systems are a threat to democracy and carry significant
political sway. For this reason, most democracies fear implementing the system
because no technology has been proven to prevent attacks on voting data during
the election process.
Technological Issues
Cyber security experts report that "no known technology that can guarantee the secrecy, security,
and verifiability of a marked ballot transmitted over the Internet.” Especially
in the United States, where secret ballots are utilized, protecting voters'
privacy is a top priority when designing voting systems. The secret ballot is
advantageous because it prevents voters from coercion or reprisal based on
their vote. While it is a fundamental concept that no one should be able to
attribute a specific vote to a certain voter, this presents its own challenges
when implementing an online voting system. Internet voting is still a
relatively new technology, and several obstacles hinder its practical
application.
The question of whether online voting is safe is still under study by cybersecurity scientists. Their latest report shows that internet voting is an aspect of the political process unlikely to be adopted in democratic states in the next decade. However, with the increasing technological advances, cybersecurity experts are likely to discover strategies that ensure the security and privacy of voters.
Sources
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2021). Internet or Online Voting Remains
Insecure. Retrieved from https://www.aaas.org/epi-center/internet-online-voting
The Organization of American States report concurs with my sentiments about electronic fraud, and the vulnerability of online information systems especially in voting systems. The issue with the report is that there exists no electronic fraud according to its record, yet what one fails to acknowledge is that all online features on this voting system as any other are vulnerable for various fraudulent attacks.
ReplyDeleteMany businesses in the corporate world suffer different types of fraudulent computer system attacks and, thus, absorb some losses due to fraud as part of running an online automated business. When it comes to voting systems, however, the situation is completely opposite. Elections are the basis of a democracy and the process must be protected so that purity is maintained.
The threats could be cyberattacks on voting systems such as denial of service attacks, advanced persistent threats, malware infections, insider attack attempts and credentials loss. These attacks have far-reaching consequences that go beyond financial losses; they directly interfere with a democratic process and erode people’s trust in their government.
Not only is the exposure of vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems a technical issue but also a major political concern. It could undermine the core principles of democracy by questioning the authenticity of election results. As such, most democracies are naturally hesitant as pertains electronic voting systems.
However, with the absence of a dependable technology to secure voting data during elections forms one major hindrance toward the stereotype achievements that electronic voting has for instance in efficiency and accessibility. Guaranteeing the sanctity, and safety of the electoral process is an overarching goal that all technologies must accomplish here, in light of this provision it becomes reasonable for democracies to be apprehensive about adopting such technology until a system that is safe from manipulation presents itself.
Lastly, I strongly agree with the issues raised in this report on the insecurity of electronic voting systems and thus deserves significant consideration. The sanctity of the democratic process must be upheld, and any technology used in elections should have been piloted fully to ensure it is secure not only against today’s cyber threats.
Hello Dylan,
DeleteThank you for your insightful comment on this topic. I appreciate your detailed comments on the OAS because I have learned a different perspective of the OAS report. You also make good explanation about the potential for fraud in computerized voting systems. It's important to note that even if the investigation did not uncover any electronic fraud, these systems still have dangers and weaknesses that could seriously affect the democratic process. The integrity of data and the public's faith in the voting process are both at risk from cyberattacks such as denial of service assaults, malware infections, and insider threats. Because of the fine line that must be maintained between progress in technology and the protection of fundamental democratic norms, your appeal for secure and well-proven technology in electronic voting systems is vital. Your perspective should be considered when discussing the pros and cons of using computerized voting methods.
I think that voting on the internet can come with many issues. There are more issues other than cybersecurity. There is also chance of power outage. What would we do if the voting process was online and then there was a blackout and no one could vote. There would be complete chaos.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie,
DeleteYou bring up a good point on the internet voting. I agree that online voting presents a range of challenges beyond cybersecurity, including potential infrastructure issues like power outages that could disrupt the voting process and lead to chaos. Ensuring the reliability and accessibility of online voting systems is essential to maintain the integrity of elections. While the convenience of internet-based voting is appealing, addressing these technical and logistical challenges and concerns is crucial to make it a viable and secure option for the future.
I cannot see a world where voting online is a better alternative than traditional poll based voting. This is especially true concerning voter access. If someone cannot afford a government ID to vote, how are they to afford a device with internet access, or become literate in how to vote online. Plus there are a plethora of security risks.
ReplyDeleteHello Raegan! As we have seen many times throughout the duration of this course, social media and internet usage is part of over 90% of Americans daily routine. However, in my opinion internet voting is not the way to go, I think we should keep the voting booth tradition in place. There is just way too many potential issues with internet voting. From the internet/website crashing, cyber fraud, technological device issues, etc. All of that can be avoided if we stick with the traditional voting method.
ReplyDelete