Student Article

As election hacking becomes a greater threat, experts are turning to advanced technology to defend democracy.

Hacking the vote The 2016 U.S. presidential election revealed how vulnerable election systems are to cyber attacks. Hackers, using phishing techniques, gained access to sensitive Democratic Party emails, shaking public trust. It took two years to confirm that Russian intelligence was behind the breach. Easy to break in Electronic voting machines are particularly at risk. During the 2017 Def Con security conference, researchers remotely hacked into a WinVote machine in under two minutes. Even children demonstrated the ability to alter mock election results, exposing critical vulnerabilities. High-tech protection To combat election hacking, experts are exploring blockchain technology. Blockchain creates a digital ledger of votes that is almost impossible to alter. In Sierra Leone, a pilot program used blockchain to record votes during its 2018 presidential election. Quantum mechanics is another promising tool. Quantum key distribution creates ultra-secure cryptographic codes that can detect hacking attempts. However, these systems are still costly and complex. The power of paper Despite these innovations, experts warn that electronic systems alone cannot guarantee election security. They recommend using voter-verified paper ballots as a fallback to allow for manual recounts. Multi-layered security, including firewalls, backups, and constant monitoring, is essential to protecting the democratic process.

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