Linux vs. Windows for voting systems?

[resonator80]

Computerized voting systems (aka DREs or Direct Recording Electronic)
must be based on an operating system, for example, Windows or Linux.

Linux has the advantage of being open so that all the source code can
be open. Windows source code will not be opened to anyone.

Some people have argued that the basic Windows operating system can
remain secret as long as the voting application program (i.e. C,
Python, etc) is open.

Here are some questions about such an arrangement.

1. Could someone tamper with the Windows OS or put in some additional
code that would not be found in an inspection of the application
program that could alter the results?

2. Could viruses and other malware affect the OS and, ultimately, an
election without its effects being detected by examining the
application program?

Any other comments are welcome.

Thanks,
Bill Edelstein
Baltimore, MD

 

[Shenan Stanley]

resonator80 wrote:
> Computerized voting systems (aka DREs or Direct Recording
> Electronic) must be based on an operating system, for example,
> Windows or Linux.
>
> Linux has the advantage of being open so that all the source code
> can be open. Windows source code will not be opened to anyone.
>
> Some people have argued that the basic Windows operating system can
> remain secret as long as the voting application program (i.e. C,
> Python, etc) is open.
>
> Here are some questions about such an arrangement.
>
> 1. Could someone tamper with the Windows OS or put in some
> additional code that would not be found in an inspection of the
> application program that could alter the results?
>
> 2. Could viruses and other malware affect the OS and, ultimately, an
> election without its effects being detected by examining the
> application program?
>
> Any other comments are welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill Edelstein
> Baltimore, MD

Homework assignment?

1) Possibly - any OS/software could be affected this way.
2) Possibly - again any OS/software could be affected this way.

You'd have to be much more detailed in order to be able to give a definitive
answer. After all - who is examining the application/operating system? How
is it secured physically and with software? Is it on a network or not? How
is the data collected stored? Is it ever transferred anywhere? etc and so
on.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

[JS]

Any OS can be tampered with.
It would be easier in some ways to rig an 'Open' system and or software
simply because the source is there for anyone to see.
Therefore they know how it works and where to make any changes without easy
discovery. The trick is injecting any changes back into the target system.

JS

"resonator80" <w.edelstein@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1184527231.984104.175800@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Computerized voting systems (aka DREs or Direct Recording Electronic)
> must be based on an operating system, for example, Windows or Linux.
>
> Linux has the advantage of being open so that all the source code can
> be open. Windows source code will not be opened to anyone.
>
> Some people have argued that the basic Windows operating system can
> remain secret as long as the voting application program (i.e. C,
> Python, etc) is open.
>
> Here are some questions about such an arrangement.
>
> 1. Could someone tamper with the Windows OS or put in some additional
> code that would not be found in an inspection of the application
> program that could alter the results?
>
> 2. Could viruses and other malware affect the OS and, ultimately, an
> election without its effects being detected by examining the
> application program?
>
> Any other comments are welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill Edelstein
> Baltimore, MD
>

 

[Bob I]

The OS is immaterial, the system must be easily verifiable, say MD5
against the code. AND some form of hardcopy documentation of the ballots
cast, display it to the current voter, when they cast the vote it can
not be cleared, microprinting and a reader would take care of recount.

resonator80 wrote:

> Computerized voting systems (aka DREs or Direct Recording Electronic)
> must be based on an operating system, for example, Windows or Linux.
>
> Linux has the advantage of being open so that all the source code can
> be open. Windows source code will not be opened to anyone.
>
> Some people have argued that the basic Windows operating system can
> remain secret as long as the voting application program (i.e. C,
> Python, etc) is open.
>
> Here are some questions about such an arrangement.
>
> 1. Could someone tamper with the Windows OS or put in some additional
> code that would not be found in an inspection of the application
> program that could alter the results?
>
> 2. Could viruses and other malware affect the OS and, ultimately, an
> election without its effects being detected by examining the
> application program?
>
> Any other comments are welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill Edelstein
> Baltimore, MD
>