Data security is an ongoing concern regardless of what line of business you are in. Healthcare has faced recent cyber attacks using ransomware and now a series of data breaches from overseas are spurring concerns that hackers could manipulate elections in the United States. This was brought to our attention by The Hill in their article, “Election fraud feared as hackers target voter records.”
Data was discovered in unprotected form beginning in December 2015. This included personal information on voters from the United States, Philippines, Turkey and Mexico. Malicious hackers are suspected of pilfering the data for criminal purposes in the majority of instances.
The data breaches come at a time when the United States is considering whether to move toward electronic balloting and now are creating concerns. In 2002 Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which directed each state to create a computerized statewide voter registration database. However, many feel that local electoral authorities don’t have the technical know-how to properly protect the data, and third-party vendors are not held to a high enough standard for their comfort level.
Security with technology is a constant concern for most organizations. However, it might surprise some to know that humans are the weakest link in the security chain.
Melody K. Smith
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