November 2000 - cypherpunks-legacy

CDR: Gary Chapman On Online Voting, Even if Secure, Won't Solve Election Troubles
by Matthew Gaylor 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

DIGITAL NATION Online Voting, Even if Secure, Won't Solve Election Troubles By Gary Chapman Copyright 2000, The Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved The uproar over last week's election results, particularly the controversy over the vote in Florida, has fueled calls for online voting. Some experts think the problems of last week could be solved by computerized voting, while others insist that is fraught with insecurity. Controversy about how computers handle votes has been around for a while. It was an issue championed for years by longtime Los Angeles civil-liberties activist Mae Churchill, who died in 1996 at age 84. Churchill was the founder of Pacific Palisades-based Election Watch, and 15 years ago she convinced many technical experts that there are serious problems when computers are introduced into the voting process. "Mae Churchill got me into this issue," said Peter Neumann, a researcher at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., and an internationally known authority on computer security. Now, he said, "I would not trust a computerized voting system even if I had written itmyself, because of the many ways in which such systems can be subverted." "It's so easy to rig an election," Neumann said. He cited the fact that "punch card" ballots -- the cardboard ballots that use a punched hole to read a vote -- can be invalidated simply by running a needle through a stack of the cards. That can make it look like a vote for two candidates for the same office. Florida election officials threw out more than 19,000 ballots last week because of the appearance of voters selecting two candidates in the presidential election. In Boston in 1993, Neumann said, a local election's results were reversed after authorities discovered errors caused by "hanging chad," the tiny paper remnant of a punched hole that can hang off the back side of the card ballot and then reclose the hole when the ballot is run through a light scanner for tabulation. This problem reportedly caused some of the vote tallies to change in last week's recounts in Florida. Also in 1993 in Florida, a St. Petersburg precinct that had no registered voters because it was an industrial area showed 1,429 votes for an incumbent mayor, who won by 1,425 votes. Another Florida case happened in 1988, when there were 200,000 fewer votes in the Senate race than for the presidential candidates, and most of the missing votes came from four counties that used the same computer vote-tallying vendor. "If it was built by man, it can be broken by man," said Doug Lewis, director of the Election Center in Houston, an organization that does training and consulting for election officials nationwide. "People asking for [online voting] don't understand the electoral process and the incredible safety and security problems that go into that." "I do worry that computer elections systems are large and complex systems," said David Jefferson, the technical director of the California Internet Voting Task Force and a researcher at Compaq Systems Research Center in Palo Alto. "The main worry is not bugs in the software or in communications, but each time they are used they have to be configured rather elaborately. Ballot choices have to fit a voter's residence, which can often be a complicated task. If they are misconfigured they can produce erroneous results." The California secretary of state's task force on Internet voting recommended against remote online voting earlier this year. "We have to understand that the security problems for allowing that are so severe that we can't recommend that solution at all. These problems are inherent in the architecture of the personal computer," Jefferson said. Instead, some online voting proponents are supporting an interim solution: polling-place computer voting. "That kind of Internet voting can be fielded now, and the security problems are manageable," Jefferson noted. Polling-place electronic voting involves using a networked computer to vote at a conventional polling site. This method has the added security of controlling the machines and identifying each voter in person. Some argued last week that polling-place electronic voting would have solved some of the problems Florida encountered. "Spoiling a ballot would be prevented by computer," Jefferson said. The computer program could prevent a confused or deliberate vote for two candidates in the same race. Another benefit might be that counties could report real-time vote counts, which could help prevent television networks or Web sites from inaccurately guessing at how a state's electoral college vote might turn out. Vote totals also could be reported instantly after the polls closed. But Jefferson said the alleged confusion last week in Palm Beach County, Fla., where some people claim to have voted for Pat Buchanan when they meant to vote for Al Gore, still could be a problem in electronic voting, Jefferson said. "Someone with a good design sense has to be in charge of the design of a screen, just like a paper ballot," he said. Even so, the obstacles to adopting polling-place electronic voting are daunting. Aside from the expense of providing every polling place with multiple computer systems, there are still significant security issues and a dearth of trained personnel in our election system. "Most of us who have been in elections a long time are uncomfortable with the idea of turning over elections to a private, for-profit company," said Lewis of the Election Center. Although private companies do run election systems, they are supervised by public officials, usually at the county level. Few counties in the U.S. can afford to pay for technical experts who can evaluate and monitor sophisticated networked computer systems with multiple redundancies, encryption, complex backup and security measures, and state-of-the-art equipment. Moreover, Lewis said, fraud in U.S. elections is low because the systems we use are so decentralized and cumbersome. Centralized and computerized data would be a tempting target for hackers, subversives and perhaps foreign governments, he said. "Even companies with tens of millions of dollars for protecting their systems are penetrated," Lewis said. "How many counties have that kind of money?" "Electronic voting is not going to solve our problems," Neumann said. Lewis added: "Everyone wants instant Internet gratification. We've been conditioned to expect this now. The truth is we're not going to have instantaneous Internet voting. We're not going to be doing this in 'Internet time.' " Gary Chapman is director of the 21st Century Project at the University of Texas at Austin. He can be reached at gary.chapman(a)mail.utexas.edu. ------------------------------------------ To subscribe to a listserv that forwards copies of Gary Chapman's published articles, including his column "Digital Nation" in The Los Angeles Times, send mail to: listproc(a)lists.cc.utexas.edu Leave the subject line blank. In the first line of the message, put: Subscribe Chapman [First name] [Last name] Leave out the brackets, just put your name after Chapman. Send this message. You'll get a confirmation message back confirming your subscription. This message will contain some boilerplate text, generated by the listserv software, about passwords, which you should IGNORE. Passwords will not be used or required for this listserv. Mail volume on this listserv is low; expect to get something two or three times a month. The list will be used only for forwarding published versions of Gary Chapman's articles, or else pointers to URLs for online versions of his articles -- nothing else will be sent to the list. To unsubscribe from the listserv, follow the same instructions above, except substitute the word "Unsubscribe" for "Subscribe." Please feel free to pass along copies of the forwarded articles, but please retain the relevant copyright information. Also feel free to pass along these instructions for subscribing to the listserv, to anyone who might be interested in such material. Questions should be directed to Gary Chapman at gary.chapman(a)mail.utexas.edu. ************************************************************************** Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues Send a blank message to: freematt(a)coil.com with the words subscribe FA on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per month) Matthew Gaylor,1933 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., PMB 176, Columbus, OH 43229 (614) 313-5722 Archived at http://www.egroups.com/list/fa/ **************************************************************************

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CDR: Re: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans
by Bill Stewart 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

At 02:32 PM 11/13/00 -0800, Tib wrote: >> "Our suggestion is that software packages include in their screen layout a few >> lines with a signal that encodes the license serial number plus a random value >> . . . a "software detector van" can be used to patrol business districts and >> other areas where software piracy is suspected. If the van receives twenty >> signals from the same copy of a software from a company that has only licensed >> five copies, then probable cause for a search warrant has been established." >> p.13 > >Hope I'm not being totally naive about the capability of computer hardware, but >I sure don't recall my PC (or any that I have ever had or can think of >seeing) having short range broadcasting capabilities. How would this be >theorheticly possible (despite the utter nonsense that the rumor must be) to >accomplish, if at all? You don't need a specific radio broadcaster in your PC. Lots of things leak electrically and radiate signals, some useful and easy to decode. Just because it's not useful to YOU doesn't mean it's not useful to an eavesdropper. Video cards, monitors and keyboards are among the loudest. Laptop CRT screens are rumored to be much quieter, but it's not so, at least for most laptops which have an unshielded VGA plug on them so you can plug in a real monitor. Thanks! Bill Bill Stewart, bill.stewart(a)pobox.com PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF 3C85 B884 0ABE 4639

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CDR: Trusted Client Systems--echo var
by www＠www.starrtree.com 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

This e-mail message is a reply to a Web page using the form2mail script. The reply was generated by a web page at www.starrtree.com. Dear Mr/s Joe Cypherpunk, Thank you for your interest in Trusted Client Systems unique suite of secure PCs, products and services. Your name has been added to our mailing list and you will be hearing from us shortly regarding our products, their prices, availability and special introductory offers. Thanks again for your interest, The Trusted Client Systems staff

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CDR: social insects
by anonymous＠openpgp.net 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

> Both ants and bees, to just name two, are "social insects." The Japanese are pretty similar, too.

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CDR: EnenKio currency is Gold
by enenkio＠webtv.net 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

EnenKio currency is Gold DO NOT BEG ! TAKE IT, IT'S YOUR RIGHT STOP dishonoring yourselves --- AMERCIA REMOVE IT OR PROVE IT ! www.enenkio.org -- A Nation The newest OFCs, e.g., Niue and the Marshall Islands, are now sprouting in remote areas of the world, such as the Pacific. Even more "remote" are mere figments of fertile imaginations such as the Dominion of Malchizedek (sic) or The Kingdom of Enenkio Atol (sic), both entirely fraudulent in intent and practice." [note: OFC = Offshore Financial Center] Response: This unprovoked attack upon His Majesty King Remios, Monarch of the Kingdom of EnenKio, the sovereign state of EnenKio and its noble citizenry by the U.S. Department of State is a reprehensible categorically false challenge of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of EnenKio. It is also unjustifiably inflammatory and amounts to an unqualified felonious defamation of the international reputation of His Majesty King Remios, the government of the Kingdom of EnenKio and organs thereof. The unmitigated audacity and arrogance of the United States to attempt to link the Kingdom of EnenKio with International Crime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion, international drug cartels, terrorists, bank fraud or any other sort of criminal activity, without even one microscopic fragment of substantive evidence to corroborate such deliberately nefarious statements is reprehensible in the least. This public posting shall serve as constructive notice to the United States Government that any attempt to interfere in the business of His Majesty King Remios, Iroijlaplap of the Northern Ratak atolls of the Marshall Islands, or any acts, decisions, mandates, announcements or directives thereby, shall be met with definitive responses equal to the degrees of contravention. Furthermore, this matter will not be resolved until the President of the United States issues a formal apology to His Majesty King Remios, along with the government of the Kingdom of EnenKio, and the Congress of the United States initiates a thorough investigation into the abuses of power, subversion of natural rights and illegal occupation by the United States of the islands and seas of Eneen-Kio Atoll. Congressional representatives to Hawaii, the nearest State of the United States to Eneen-Kio Atoll, and those of other states, have repeatedly been advised of the foregoing atrocities and conditions and have failed to respond in kind. The United States is obligated as the self-assured trustee of Pacific Island States in Micronesia to respond to the charges of "ethnic cleansing" and her responsibility to EnenKio is no less. For further information and links to documents, see: EnenKio Documents http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1998_narc_report/ml_intro.html http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1998_narc_report/index.html March 16, 1999: Facts = www.enenkio.org or 808 923-0476 fax/ph Robert Moore. Robert Moore, Minister Plenipotentiary, Kingdom of EnenKio Foreign Trade Mission DO-MO-CO Manager, Remios Hermios Eleemosynary Trust, Majuro, Marshall Islands http://www.enenkio.org

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CDR: Re: Please take me off your mailing list!
by Jim Choate 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

On Tue, 14 Nov 2000 cypherpunks(a)iurn.net wrote: > > Jim.. I hate to tell you, but instructions for toad.com no longer exist on > that website ANYWHERE. If you're talking, http://einstein.ssz.com/cdr/index.html#subinst then you can't read for shit. Let me quote (as I am looking at it real time), "Currently the only listproc based CDR nodes is openpgp.ent, however the deprecated cypherpunks(a)toad.com also uses this. If you know that a particular CDR node is using listproc for their remailer then send to: cypherpunks-request@appropriate_domain_name" cypherpunks-request(a)toad.com Not rocket science. Have a nice day. ____________________________________________________________________ He is able who thinks he is able. Buddha The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage(a)ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------

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CDR: REMOVE
by comsec.os 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

THANKS P.J COMSEC.OS(a)VIRGIN.NET

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CDR: Yahoo! UK & Ireland - Story - DNA database profiles one in 60
by Yahoo! UK & Ireland 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

------------------------------------------------------------ Personal message text: DNA database profiles one in 60 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/001114/80/ap59y.html

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CDR: I'm not after your money, only your trust
by Jim Sager 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

Do you have a dream? Are you living it? If not do you want to? * Way to many people in this world have given up on their dream. They are frustrated with the results they are getting from their J.O.B. and are searching for SOMETHING to rekindle their spirit, and give their life meaning once again. Do you have a dream? Are you living it? If not would you like to? Do you constantly ask yourself these questions? 1. Why does it seem there is always too much month left at the end of the money? 2. Why do I have to live paycheck to paycheck? 3. Why is it such a struggle week after week just to survive? 4. What will I do if suddenly there is no more J.O.B.? 5. Isn't there a better way to make a Living? If you have answered yes to any of these you are not living your dream but rather your nightmare. I am an entrepreneur involved with a company that is rewriting the pages of history, and at the same time rewriting the legacy of many people's lives. YOU could be one of those people, all you have to do is reach for it. If you were to read some of the bookful of testomonials that exist for this opportunity, you would not hesitate one microsecond, you would join immediately. How do I know that? Because this company has touched so many lives in such a positive manner that they will never be equaled by any other company,,,,,,,,, ever! Rekindle your spirit, and revive your dream. * Be apart of the fastest growing leg of this company. What type of people are involved? Doctors, Lawyers, Dentists, Phd's, Scientists and Engineers, among others. There are no dummies here, people that have a brain are involved. I hope that makes you wonder why, 'cause it shows that you have a brain as well. If you haven't guessed, I am excited!!! But you owe it to yourself to be just as excited, so don't pass on this. EMAIL ME BACK with MORE INFO in the Subject and I'll provide more detail on the opportunity of a lifetime. If you would like to be removed from my list Please reply and type REMOVE in the subject area.

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RE: CDR: Re: Close Elections and Causality
by Trei, Peter 14 Nov '00

14 Nov '00

> petro[SMTP:petro@bounty.org] wrote: > Mr. May: > >At 10:20 AM +0000 11/14/00, Ken Brown wrote: > >> > >> > >>But maybe to redraw the boundaries. That's a common problem in Britain. > >>Every now and again some government (almost always Conservative, for > >>reasons to do with gerrymandering I suspect) gets it into its head that > >>it would be a Good Thing if counties were more or less the same size so > >>tried to amalgamate smaller ones and split larger ones and "rationalize" > >>boundaries. > > > >You _do_ know, I assume, that the very term "gerrymandering" came > >from experiences in the U.S.? > > > >(Not to be confused with "jerrymathersing," which refers to the > >false claim that a person died in a war.) > > The impression that I get is that in Merry Old England, > voting is done by county, whereas in this country voting is done by > district. > > For the benefit of those not familiar with the American system: > > States (obviously) and counties have fixed boundaries, while > voting districts are redrawn every 10 or so years to attempt to keep > the population of each district relatively equivalent in population. > At least that's the theory. What really happens is that since those > in Power draw the lines, they attempt to draw the boundaries such > that they maintain or gain power. > Actually, voting in Britain is done by Parlimentary district, which is a lot smaller than a county. The names on the ballots are the candidates for Member of Parliment from that district.. The party which gets a majority of the parlimentary seats is requested by Mrs. Windsor to form a government. If no party gets a majority, the one with the largest number of seats tries to form a coalition government with one of the other parties. You don't vote directly for a party or Prime Minister (unless you happen to live in his or her district - the PM is an MP as well). And yes, redrawing parlimentary district boundaries is subject to the same partisan gerrymandering as congressional boundaries are in the US. Peter Trei

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