Influential cybersecurity expert and Purdue University professor Eugene Spafford recently joined more than three dozen cybersecurity experts in sending letters to several governors and state election officials expressing concern over plans to allow Internet voting for presidential primaries in June and July. Spafford is among numerous security leaders who believe the risks associated with allowing voters to cast ballots online are simply not worth any perceived benefits.
In this Q&A, Spafford, who served as a senior adviser and consultant to two US presidents and worked at the National Security Agency, the FBI, and the Department of Justice, explains the reasons for his concerns and what he thinks it would actually take for Internet voting to become truly secure and trustworthy.
(Image Source: Purdue University)
Q: What specifically are your concerns with Internet voting? Why do you believe it could endanger presidential primary results?
A: I want to note that this is a topic that has been studied repeatedly over the last couple of decades. Basically every study that has been done by somebody who isn't marketing something says it's not safe. I am just one of many who have looked at it and said there are problems.
When it was originally looked at, it was the idea of using a workstation either at your home or in your library or somewhere else. Then as cellphones and digital assistants become more prevalent, the idea became, "Why can't we have an app for voting?'
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