Governments fear for election security amid Russian cyberattacks

So stop the Russia collusion nonsense so we can shift the focus to election security to include paper ballots and voter ID.

So stop the Russia collusion nonsense so we can shift the focus to election security to include paper ballots and voter ID.

Totally. You know millions voted illegally cuz Donny said so, and Donny never lies.

Keep going with the Russia investigation, out the colluding scum bags.

U.S. intelligence leaders report Russian hackers are already working to undermine this November's elections, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and in statehouses across the nation.

And not a peep from the Dear Leader or his supporters. Maybe they like the help?

The Republican Party simply doesn't care. I wonder why.

These cyber attacks on the US and other developed countries are the destructive actions of a jealous and sinking power. Russia is an economic basket case -- an economy smaller than Italy, no innovation, and no exports save raw materials. The future is grim for Russia.

But it can do (has already done?) great damage to our nation on its way down, and the way down is where its going. We must be vigilant with a no tolerance policy.

Unfortunately, our president is a Putin sycophant. Very very dangerous.

Will your vote be safe this year from foreign adversaries working to undermine U.S. democracy?

What a farce.  US is undermining Japan's democracy and other countries'.

Unbelievable hypocrisy from the country that has hacked, influenced, and overthrown more governments than any other in the history of the planet.

Perhaps hypocrisy is the wrong word. Let’s chalk it up to moronic ignorance instead.

@rBush How can anybody hack a vote?

Hack? Meddle. How any American can be influenced by slogans such as

@Bush Russia collusion nonsense

speaks to the power of social media and the effectiveness of the organizations behind those who post propaganda like that. The organizations paying those posters understand how easily influenced some Americans are.

Curious that it's so many evangelical and ultra-right Americans who lap the propagandist's pap. 'Hillary's gonna start WW3!' 'Pizzagate'. 'They're hacking votes'.

Russia hacks/meddles/interferes and influences the US - no response.

The DPRK insults Trump - prepare for war.

you havent even been able to prove there was "help" last time. No votes were changed. No one changed from one candidate to another based on a Facebook post of Jesus and Satan arm wrestling.

The "help" came from Dems decision to let Hillary screw over Bernie, as he would have beaten Trump. The "help" was running the only candidate who could have lost to the supposed worst candidate in history. The help was the "deplorables" comment, the "why am I not 50 points ahead" screeching, the email server, etc etc. Had lots of help to win, but it wasnt from Russians it was from your own candidate.

OK. Well, we will just wait until Russia actually does influence the election before we even speak to criticize them.

In the meantime, enjoy all of the benefits of their help.

no one cares that Russia meddled, unless they can link it to Trump, prove its why he won and impeach him. A little honesty goes a long way. Obama didnt care until after the election didnt have the intended result, and he knew since 2014.

Plus, if we make a big deal about what Russia did, we have to explain why Obama meddled in Israel's election and have to stop our own meddling from now on.

you havent even been able to prove there was "help" last time. No votes were changed. No one changed from one candidate to another based on a Facebook post of Jesus and Satan arm wrestling.

The "help" came from Dems decision to let Hillary screw over Bernie, as he would have beaten Trump. The "help" was running the only candidate who could have lost to the supposed worst candidate in history. The help was the "deplorables" comment, the "why am I not 50 points ahead" screeching, the email server, etc etc. Had lots of help to win, but it wasnt from Russians it was from your own candidate.

You're silly if you think that it wasn't a combination of both.

no one cares that Russia meddled

Imagine telling that to a Bush I era Republican.

SuperLib - OK. Well, we will just wait until Russia actually does influence the election before we even speak to criticize them.

In the meantime, enjoy all of the benefits of their help.

Obama was aware of the Russian meddling before the last general election, and he made a decision not to do anything about it. Which included NOT telling the U.S. voters about it. This could be known as the Obama Doctrine.

Obama was aware of the Russian meddling before the last general election, and he made a decision not to do anything about it. 

More fake news from Russia.

Anyway, the Trump defenders' defense is all over the place. I can't make sense of it:

There was no Russian meddling.

And Obama chose to do nothing about it! Bad Obama!

One way Obama did nothing was to get a FISA warrant to listen in on Carter Page.

The FISA warrant was based on the sneaky maneuvers of biased liberal deep state FBI and DOJ agents who had it in for Trump. Some of them, like Mueller, Comey, and Rosenstein actually pretended to be Republicans! And the sneakiest and most biased of them all -- Peter Strzok, who really wanted so bad to bring down our genius hero president -- wrote a letter to Congress about Hillary Clinton's emails, which ended up helping Donald Trump win, which was just a clever way of covering his tracks.

It was actually Hillary Clinton who was colluding with Russia. Because she is crooked and must be locked up. It is a fact!

Did I miss anything?

There was an attempt at meddling, which didnt impact anything at all as far as votes.

Yes, he chose to do nothing about it- correct.

That wasnt about meddling, that was an excuse to spy on the Trump campaign.

The FISA warrant was obtained under false pretenses, without saying it was political opposition research paid for by Hillary and the DNC.

Yes, that is more than likely correct.

didnt impact anything at all as far as votes.

That has not yet been determined.

he chose to do nothing about it- correct.

That is false.

that was an excuse to spy on the Trump campaign

Poppycock. You have no proof of that.

The FISA warrant was obtained under false pretenses

False, according to both the GOP and Democratic memos.

Carter Page was a member of the campaign and he was wiretapped and his phone calls were monitored. So the “trump campaign” was spied upon.

Both the gop and Dem memo said it was hidden who the political influence involved in the dossier actually was.

Obama and Biden admitted they did nothing before the election. Didn’t want to give any credibility to Trumps claim that the election could be rigged. He in fact laughed at Trump for suggesting so, while knowing that Russians were trying to rig it.

the rest, I guess I have to listen to this “not yet” defense.

So black, does that mean Rosenstein is involved? He said he has seen nothing inappropriate from the investigators.

I discussed this before. He is leaving that determination to the IG as he should.

Or in liberal talk he hasn’t seen anything inappropriate=. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, just that he personally hasn’t seen it.

And just because it didn’t happen just simply means he hasn’t seen it (yet).

And Mueller’s team is ok (now) cause people who did bad like Strzok and Page aren’t on his team (anymore).

See how annoying it is when people won’t accept what people say.

Regardless the sooner this “muh Russia” is over the sooner we can focus on our election systems. so that neither side has to listen to all this nonsense that “Russia” elected our President ever again.

and oh yeah, try to get rid of electoral college if it bothers you that bad. Haven’t heard a peep on that.

@blackl neither side has to listen to all this nonsense that “Russia” elected our President ever again.

I don't know which county you're from, but in the US there are usually many sides on any issue. Most Americans are aware of that.

I don't recall many people saying 'Russia elected' Trump. That seems like an extreme exaggeration. That seems like a nonsense thing that only an extremist would say, or accuse people of saying.

I do, however, recall some Americans saying Russians meddled in the US elections.

Some have gone so far as to say the Russian meddling affected voters' decisions, that because the Russians were pro-Trump and ant-Hillary, the meddling might have influenced votes.

If you have sources claiming Russia elected Trump, please share.

If the Russians did meddle in the US election, it would be poetic justice for a nation that has meddled, colluded, subverted and undermined the political process in so many countries over the last 100 years that even they have lost count. Talk about pot, kettle, black, yanks...

If the Russians did meddle in the US election, it would be poetic justice for a nation that has meddled, colluded, subverted and undermined the political process in so many countries over the last 100 years that even they have lost count. Talk about pot, kettle, black, yanks...

A good point. Still doesn’t make it right, no matter who does it.

That is exactly what I have been asking since Nov 2016 when liberals and Dems and the media all started talking about "Russia" and how they were directly responsible for Trump winning.

Absent any evidence of this, why does it even matter and why is Trump's name connected to it?

If you have sources claiming Russia elected Trump, please share.

No one changed from one candidate to another based on a Facebook post of Jesus and Satan arm wrestling.

Keep telling your self that and maybe you will believe it.

And, maybe you will want to invite Russia for 2018 elections with that logic.

There has been no official assessment of the effect on the election because hypothetical questions are impossible to measure. It was a close race. An election is a popularity game of who is in the news the most with less damaging information, and I am sure that slow trickle worked for Trump and against Clinton.

The hacked emails trickled out slower than the number women accusing Trump of being a sexual predator and slower than the fact checking of Trump's lies and racist comments, because they were (and still are) flying fast.

@blackl nonsense that “Russia” elected our President ever again

Please provide a source showing that 'Russia elected our President' was said.

You're not making an extremist statement like that just to stir up even more trouble now, are you?

and I am sure that slow trickle worked for Trump and against Clinton.

Says the guy who said it is impossible to measure. If you cant measure it, you cant prove it, which means you shouldnt say it.

Please provide a source showing that 'Russia elected our President' was said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/trump-russia-cia-john-brennan.html

The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump’s victory months later, former government officials say.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/russia-helped-donald-trump-win-white-house-report-article-1.2905442

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/06/putin-ordered-hacking-help-trump-intelligence-report-says/96260102/

and many many more. Thats the whole point of this collusion claim, that no way Trump could have won by himself. Yet he did.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/05/24/why-wasnt-russia-a-key-focus-before-the-election-because-trump-wasnt-expected-to-win/

The subject most famously came up in the third debate, with Clinton specifically suggesting that Russia was hoping to get Trump elected.

“You continue to get help from him, because he has a very clear favorite in this race,” Clinton said.

Says the guy who said it is impossible to measure. If you cant measure it, you cant prove it, which means you shouldnt say it.

Says the prosecutor who indicted Russia for spending millions of dollars a month and had hundreds of people working for . . . . what?

Right, Russia is a socialist country and was doing community service. . . . for Trump.

The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president

I wonder if you realize that this snippet doesn't actually support the claim you made, which at this moment is still unsupported.

It was said. I didn’t say it was proven, because in fact it is false despite being said. The subject was who said it? Brennan did and Hillary did and many many CNN talking people. Russia elected Trump they said.

If the story now is Russia didn’t help him get elected then why is there an investigation into Trump and Russia? Should be an investigation into The United States and Russia not a specific person.

Just because you spend money and hire people to work on something doesn’t mean it has any impact. Prove the impact then we are getting somewhere.

@blackl and many many more

I read each of the links you sent and could not find one that said 'Russia elected our President'.

I think at this point it's pretty hard for anyone to say Russia did not interfere in the election and their interference did not have an effect on the outcome, but also think only an extremist would say 'Russia elected our President' - or say that's what those who disagree with you said.

Then why is Trump himself being investigated if the Russian actions didn’t lead to his election? Are you now saying he won all by himself and is legitimate?

Rosenstein said in fact their interference had NO impact on the outcome.

And just because it didn’t happen just simply means he hasn’t seen it (yet).

So maybe you have access to more information than Rosenstein?

I think at this point it's pretty hard for anyone to say Russia did not interfere in the election

I think at this point it's pretty hard for anyone not to admit that despite a whole year of hysteria about Russian hacking there still no proof that Russians actually interfered in the US elections. Endless empty talk, nothing else. Very powerful guys still unable reconcile with the fact that their candidate lost in fair fight, that's all.

Americans! Please do not make your great country a laughing stock of the world with this "hacking" story! You can't imagine how stupid you look, even in the eyes of your allies. Now what, every politician who lose election has a perfect explanation - "I'm sure I won, but nasty Russian hackers interfered"? Thanks God this madness did not catch in Japan yet.

Alaska Gov Bill Walker, an independent, said his state, which allows some voters to return ballots electronically, recently earned the top grade for election security — a B — in a national report released by the Center for American Progress.

"We're Number 1 in the nation and we're closest to Russia," he said. "Our elections are in good shape."

Oh FFS are you serious?

When the governor of the US's most secure state thinks their proximity to Russia has any bearing on their ability to be hacked through the Internet, it demonstrates perfectly why the nation's top security score is only a 'B' rating.

This even happened in the Pyeongchang Olympics:

"Russia Apparently Hacked The Olympics & Tried To Make It Look Like North Korea"

https://www.bustle.com/p/russia-apparently-hacked-the-olympics-tried-to-make-it-look-like-north-korea-8322733

Hacking at the Olympics made headlines across the country, but for weeks the culprit was a mystery. During the opening ceremony websites for the PyeongChang games were unable to carry out any but their most basic functions

The attack resulted in some disruption to the Games, including loss of internet access and disruptions to broadcast systems and ticketing services, though it ultimately amounted to little more than temporary inconvenience.

According to the Post, officials described reports indicating Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, “had access to as many as 300 Olympic-related computers” in early February as well as infected South Korean routers with malware, a potentially pricey endeavor. Then they attacked routers as the games began and started to release malware on the day of the opening ceremony. This expensive technique only pays off at high value targets like the Olympics, and hackers could use it to completely disrupt the networks in question.

One Olympics-related hack was when the group released testing information on athletes like the Williams sisters and gymnastics star Simone Biles. That hack, in September 2016, used the World Anti-Doping Agency’s database to share personal medical information stored about the U.S. athletes. The Post also noted the GRU is widely believed to be behind a 2016 breach of Olympian medical records, a form of “payback after nearly every member of Russia’s track and field team was banned” from the games that year.

Also, somebody who hacked Russia actually had a front row seat, lol

"Dutch intelligence had a front-row seat to Russian DNC hack"

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/26/dutch-intelligence-election-hacks/

And according to an investigation by Dutch media, the national intelligence agency of the Netherlands, AIVD, watched the whole thing play out. Anonymous American and Dutch sources tell the story of the AIVD infiltrating the computer network of a Moscow university building -- a network which just so happened to be used by Russian hacking group Cozy Bear, aka APT29.

The AIVD initially gained access to the network in the summer of 2014. It wasn't until later, though, that they observed attacks on the Democratic Party and the copying of emails and documents that were later leaked to the public. The AIVD alerted their US counterparts, opening a line of communication and evidence-sharing that was allegedly key to the FBI launching investigations into Russia's influence over the presidential election. During the time the AIVD had access to the network, which is said to be up to two and a half years, the agency witnessed various keyboard battles between Cozy Bear and US gatekeepers, including attacks on the State Department.

And it wasn't just network traffic the AIVD is said to have been spying on. Apparently, the agency knew the actual room in the university building Cozy Bear was operating out of and hacked into the security camera feed watching the corridor outside. The AIVD documented the hackers' comings and goings, including pictures of those involved, and subsequently concluded Cozy Bear was tied directly to Russia's foreign intelligence service SVR.

And all because the AIVD stumbled upon a network that ended up being a goldmine of intelligence.

So, it was the Dutch hacked into Russia and saw it as it happened, even hacked the security camera, lol

Which country produces the most capable Hackers in the World these days ?

plasticmonkey - Obama was aware of the Russian meddling before the last general election, and he made a decision not to do anything about it. 

More fake news from Russia.

If it's fake news, it came directly from Obama in 2016.

Obama says he told Putin to ‘cut it out’ on Russia hacking

By LOUIS NELSON  12/16/2016

President Barack Obama said Friday that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin in September to “cut it out” in regard to allegations that his nation engaged in cyberattacks against the U.S. electoral process. Obama added that further hacking by Russia did not occur following Obama’s admonition.

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/obama-putin-232754

"Cut it out", says Obama. "We're not meddling in U.S. elections, but if it makes you feel better to hear the words, of course I will cut it out", says Putin. "Putin respects me", says Obama. "Ha ha ha ha", says Putin.

These cyber attacks on the US and other developed countries are the destructive actions of a jealous and sinking power. Russia is an economic basket case -- an economy smaller than Italy, no innovation, and no exports save raw materials. The future is grim for Russia.

Thanks Crazy Joe, this is exactly how I see it. And you know what the really sad thing is? The money, time, and effort that shady corrupt officials in Russia spend on trying to disrupt other countries governments could have easily been put towards Russia improving ITSELF.

I've always said it this way. "The time one takes to get 'revenge' for a perceived slight, is time one can use to make oneself become a better individual and be happy with themselves." I see this with my own country too, but at least we have a better chance at doing so.

As an American, I feel that every legal vote must be counted. That means a person, citizen, legally allowed, not dead, registered to vote, who wants to vote, should be able AND their vote counted correctly.

Votes need to be validated, audited, by humans. Both the voter AND election monitors.

This has been solved for thousands of years. Paper. I'm not against using computers, but the voter should be able to see, on paper, who they voted for before leaving the polling location. That paper would be used later, to validate the computer counts. Paper solves all sorts of problems, provided the output is readable at least 1 yr.

Whether anyone gets their vote influenced illegally is a completely different problem. Just remove all political commons/articles on insta-goog-book-tweet. Doubt that will ever happen.

It was said.

Well you say that... except it seems you're the only one saying it, as you have shown nothing where it was said.

Election systems aren't online in the USA. That means that hacking any election isn't a direct thing, it has to be through hacking some of the multiple steps leading up to the election.

Physical access to most election-day computers cannot be allowed. At DefCon last year, some professional white-hats took a few minutes to hack into the voting machines. https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/10/defcon-event-reveals-ease-of-hacking-voting-systems/ But these require physical access, which is much more difficult, since every city/county has their own systems. There are 254 counties in my state. 3142 counties in the USA. That's a bunch of physical break-ins to attack voting machines. Plus, the code used by the machines is freshly loaded very close to any election day, so the timeframe for breaking into all these locations is very compressed.

Hacking the voter lists might be easier. Hard to say, since every state has different methods and different laws. I don't see how someone could be added over the internet, but that's based on the way that my state does it. It is very analog to register to vote. I don't think any USA election is performed over the internet. There are mail-in votes and physical "show-up" votes. Each mailed ballot has a validation code, so they aren't something that can be copied. The mail-in ballot has to be requested and the mail would need to be intercepted.

Influenced people is much easier.