Cyber security is everywhere, and so is cyber crime. We are even at risk in our nation as a whole, as the elections are at risk of being hacked and tampered with. Take this survey, then check out the article for more information below!
If you haven’t heard the stories of the 2016 presidential election being hacked, you will. Though the election is past, many are still worried about future elections and what might happen if other elections are hacked. Why? Because governments aren’t willing to pay for new voting equipment and better data protection.
In an article from Politico Magazine, cyber security is talked about as a growing threat in our great nation. 64% of Americans have experienced a data breach, and less than 50% are confident that they won’t be hacked. However, neither states nor Congress are willing to give up the money necessary to put in place the protection required by the public.
In 2002, the Help America Vote Act provided $4 billion dollars to fund new voting machines for states. Since then, many places are using the same technology for voters as they did 15 years ago. And unless money can be raised somehow, whether by public or private means, the 2018 and 2020 elections could see more hacking, and perhaps even skewed election results.
The survey above asks your opinion on cyber security, and how it should be implemented in the public sector, especially for voting. Go ahead and take it now if you haven’t yet. Thank you if you did. I hope it made you think about what you expect as far as cyber security laws go. At the very least I hope it showed a surprising number at how much cyber security costs, but how important it really is.
Congress is not looking forward to handing out cash to anyone. In an interview with Politico, Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said, “States ought to get their own money up,.” He chairs the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, which oversees federal elections. “We’re borrowing money. We got a big debt limit coming up.”
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which recently released a new set of standards for cyber security for manufacturing businesses (check out the article here!) has a lot to do with the cyber security of voting as well. According to Politico, they employ only three full-time staffers examining elections. Instead of raising the limit for cyber security, budget-cut talks are being held, meaning that even less election data could be examined and protected.
As responsible citizens, we are supposed to express our opinions and vote for representatives who share our values and opinions. Cyber security is important, so much so that if we don’t take it seriously, it might not matter who we vote for to represent and lead us, because the election results could be easily tampered to show a Russian Hacker’s choice fill a congressional or presidential seat.
If you want to ensure that we as Americans have a fair and secure voting system, get involved. Or maybe invent a cheap, secure voting machine. If you can build new infrastructure for under $100 million, you could score a sweet government contract. Until then, make your own personal cyber security a priority.