bugtraq - Re: Diebold Global Election Management System (GEMS) Backdoor Acc ount Allows Authenticated Users to Modify Votes

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Message-ID: <4159915B.2030608@pbl.ca>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 11:29:15 -0500
From: Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic@....ca>
To: bugtraq@...urityfocus.com
Subject: Re: Diebold Global Election Management System (GEMS) Backdoor Acc
 ount    Allows Authenticated Users to Modify Votes

Adam Jacob Muller wrote:
> This is very true...
> At a recent family gathering I spent about an hour trying to explain to 
> various people why "open source" voting machines are more secure.
> Everyone perceived "open" as being able to go in and change votes...

It comes from the basic misconception almost all people have.  Because 
if something is "closed", "not known", "secret", than how anybody can go 
into it and break it (or change votes in this case)?  We call it 
"security by obscurity".  And we know that system that is based on 
"security by obscurity" is inherently less secure than an open system 
with well published security principles.  But general public doesn't 
know that, and general public do not want to find it out.  General 
public likes "black boxes", and it likes to trust someone with a nice 
big smile telling how the black box is great thing.  It also likes when 
"a man with nice big smile" is proven to be a liar on prime time news. 
And the circle is complete (and ready for the new round).

-- 
Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic@....ca>    Pollard Banknote Limited
Systems Administrator                           1499 Buffalo Place
Tel: (204) 474-2323 ext 276                     Winnipeg, MB  R3T 1L7