MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Washington preparing to fend off midterm election hackers

Oct 17, 2018, 5:28 AM | Updated: 5:33 am

Washington ballot drop box, voter security, improper voting...

(AP)

(AP)

Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Governor Jay Inslee addressed concerns over voter security, outlining a handful of precautions that will be in place come November.

RELATED: Poll finds partisan divide in concerns for election security

Wyman and Inslee held a join press conference Tuesday to assure voters who registered online that increased firewall security and sensors have been employed in all 39 counties to block and detect any kind of outside attack from hackers.

“People need to know that we have been forewarned, and therefore we are fore-armed,” said Inslee.

Inslee goes on to tout Washington as having “the best laws in United States to make it practical to vote,” and “at least one of the best ways to make sure those votes are counted.”

This comes in the wake of a 2016 election cycle, where Washington found itself under attack from hackers.

“We saw during the presidential election activity on our servers that wasn’t normal,” Wyman said. “We knew it was something, we reported it to the FBI in July of 2016, and that’s where we really began our partnership with Homeland Security and the FBI.”

It’s not just strong firewalls and cyber-security that gives Washington an edge against hacking, though.

“Vote-by-mail probably gives us one of the strongest systems in the country because we have paper ballots,” Wyman noted.

Earlier in 2018, experts convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine compiled a report that recommended “all local, state, and federal elections be conducted using human-readable paper ballots by the 2020 presidential election.”

The report goes on to argue that “no current technology can guarantee secrecy, security, and verifiability” of any ballot transmitted over an Internet network. In Washington, machines that tabulate paper ballots operate on independent servers not connected to the Internet.

Simply by the grace of utilizing paper ballots, Washington finds itself a leader in voter security, along with a handful of other states that do the same.

MyNorthwest News

Kia Boys...

Kate Stone, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

‘Kia Boys’ allegedly execute a crime spree in south King County

Renton police chased down a 14-and 16-year-old but are still looking for two other teen suspects in what they said was a "crime spree" in south King County.

13 minutes ago

Spanaway woman shot dead...

Kate Stone

Search for shooter continues after woman shot dead while driving in Spanaway

A 47-year-old woman was shot dead in Spanaway, causing her to hit another driver head-on early Wednesday morning.

1 hour ago

nintendo redmond...

Frank Sumrall

Nintendo to lay off 86 Redmond employees this spring

Nintendo of America is laying off 86 contract workers in Redmond, beginning May 25, due to company reorganization.

2 hours ago

Everett boy missing...

Frank Sumrall

4-year-old Everett boy missing, police worried he’s in danger

Police and Search and Rescue crews are looking for a missing four-year-old boy they suspect could be in danger.

3 hours ago

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize jumps again after $1.1B Mega Millions win

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $935 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.

13 hours ago

Photo: The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center....

James Lynch

King County’s plan to close youth detention center met with fierce backlash

The King County Law and Justice Committee received a final report on Executive Dow Constantine's plan to close a youth detention center.

15 hours ago

Washington preparing to fend off midterm election hackers