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Estonia is running its country like a tech company

Estonia is often described as a genuinely digital society. Today a majority of government services are offered 24/7 online, and data integrity is ensured by blockchain technology. You can use medical e-prescriptions, file taxes, or even buy a car online without needing to go to the vehicle registration office. There are only a few things that you still need to do in the analog world, such as get married or buy property.

Kersti Kaljulaid

2.19

Intelligence heads warn of more aggressive election meddling in 2020

In a worldwide threat assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats wrote that competitors such as Russia, China and Iran “probably already are looking to the 2020 U.S. elections as an opportunity to advance their interests.”

BY MARTIN MATISHAK

1.29

STATE WEBSITES ARE HACKABLE- AND THAT COULD COMPROMISE ELECTION SECURITY

Not every election hack is a blockbuster — but even small-scale attacks on states’ cyber infrastructure have the potential for catastrophic effects. After receiving a tip from a small cyber firm called Appsecuri, FiveThirtyEight has confirmed that two states, Alabama and Nevada, had vulnerabilities that left them open to potential compromises of their state web presences.

BY CLARE MALONE

5.31

AMERICAN ELECTIONS ARE TOO EASY TO HACK. WE MUST TAKE ACTION NOW

Elections serve two purposes. The first, and obvious, purpose is to accurately choose the winner. But the second is equally important: to convince the loser. To the extent that an election system is not transparently and auditably accurate, it fails in that second purpose. Our election systems are failing, and we need to fix them.

BY BRUCE SCHNEIER

4.18

US VOTING MACHINES ARE FAILING. HERE’S WHY

In 2017, hackers Rick Rolled a voting machine in Las Vegas. Even though the machine was out-of-date and the demonstration didn’t replicate real-life conditions, the stunt brought national attention to an election crisis that has been building ever since the “hanging chad” fiasco that occurred during the 2000 Presidential election recount.

BY LUIZ HENRIQUE

3.29

UTAH COUNTY SCRAPS VOTE-BY-MAIL ELECTIONS THIS YEAR

PROVO — Months ago, Utah County officials decided against hosting another vote-by-mail election this year. But now that city leaders are finding out, many of them aren’t happy.

BY KATIE MCKELLAR

3.27

RUSSIA ‘WILL TARGET US MID-TERM ELECTIONS’ SAYS CIA CHIEF

Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US. He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles “in a handful of months”.

BY GORDON CORERA

1.29

GOV. BROWN PROPOSES $MILLIONS TO UPGRADE CALIFORNIA COUNTIES’ VOTING SYSTEMS

 

California counties could receive more than $130 million this year to update voting machines. Capital Public Radio’s Ben Bradford reports the proposal from Governor Jerry Brown would be the first significant funding to replace outdated and worn equipment since 2002.

BY BEN BRADFORD

2.14

US INTEL CHIEFS UNANIMOUS THAT RUSSIA IS TARGETING 2018 ELECTIONS

 

(CNN) Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Tuesday “there should be no doubt” that Russia sees the 2018 US elections as a target. Coats and the other top national security officials told the Senate Intelligence Committee that they still view Moscow as a threat to the 2018 elections, a stance that appears at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated dismissals of Russian election meddling.

BY JEREMY HERB

2.13

CYBERTRAINING ELECTION OFFICIALS FOR THIS YEAR’S VOTING

 

If anyone knows how easily voting can be disrupted, it’s a county election supervisor in the state of Florida. That’s one reason several dozen of them gathered in Orlando recently to discuss ways to protect against the most recent threat — cyberattacks by Russia or others intent on disrupting U.S. elections.

BY PAM FESSLER

2.3

ELECTION CHIEFS ‘STRADDLE THE LINE BETWEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM AND BEING ALARMIST’

 

Top election officials from across the country grappled with a delicate question this weekend: How do you tackle the threat of election interference, and be transparent in doing so, without further eroding the public’s trust in the voting process?

BY MILES PARKS

2.19

SENATOR HARRIS FACEBOOK STATEMENT

 

Russia attacked the very heart of our democracy when they interfered in the 2016 election – and they will be back to interfere again. We must act immediately to defend the 2018 election against cyber-attacks. Today, I questioned Department of Homeland Security Officials about exactly what is being done to fortify our election systems.

BY US SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS

2.7

Error leaves 118,000 voters in California off rosters in Los Angeles County

 

(CNN)-A random printing error on the voter roster in Los Angeles County caused widespread confusion in the midst of voting in the California primary on Tuesday.

BY MAEVE RESTON

6.6