In a surprising twist at DEFCON 26, the world’s largest hacking convention held in Las Vegas, a group of kids showcased their skills by infiltrating mock election board websites. The event, which opened its doors to aspiring young hackers aged 8 to 16, revealed just how vulnerable these systems can be.
Among the young hackers was 11-year-old Max Thompson, who made headlines by breaching the Florida state election website in under ten minutes and altering the voting results! His achievement was quickly followed by another 11-year-old, Lily Grant, who managed to triple the votes on the same site. Other participants got creative, changing candidate names to amusing alternatives like “Billy the Builder” and “Nixon’s Noggin,” proving that while they had fun, the implications behind such actions are quite serious.
Jake Moore, one of the event organizers and a former cybersecurity advisor, noted that the ease with which these kids hacked the sites was alarming. “We couldn’t even let the adults try because it would be boring for them,” he remarked to several news outlets. In light of the Russian hacks during the 2016 elections, the outcomes of this hacking challenge have raised eyebrows. While some argue that these results are not indicative of real-world scenarios, they still underscore a pressing concern: if actual state election boards were targeted, the fallout could be catastrophic, with sensitive voter information potentially spread across social media, creating mass confusion.
However, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) reassured the public that replicating these systems would be a considerable challenge. “Many states have unique networks and custom-built databases with advanced security measures,” they stated. Yet, Moore contends it’s not impossible: “These machines aren’t kept in Fort Knox, after all.”
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In summary, the DEFCON 26 event serves as a stark reminder of the potential vulnerabilities within our electoral systems, as even kids can exploit these mock setups with alarming ease. The future of election security remains a critical concern for all.