My main point: The goal of a propagandist is to influence information and how it is received by citizens, especially in elections. Cyber security actors have an important role to play in ensuring that citizens have equal access to information and are able to act accordingly. Hostile actors seek to limit access to unbiased information through, among other things, extensive disinformation and the destruction of trust.
The credibility of the U.S. presidential election voting system has been questioned in entirely new ways. Despite the harsh debate, there has been little, if any, evidence. In regards to cyber security, one of the most interesting arguments is the role of Dominion Voting Systems, a company that supplies voting systems, in Joe Biden’s election victory.
On November 12, 2020, President Trump tweeted: ”Report: Dominion deleted 2.7 million Trump votes nationwide.” Sidney Powell, one of Trump’s lawyers, suggested, among other things, that the number of votes received by the Democratic Party on Dominion’s machines increased and that the votes were processed abroad. The allegations also included that the “oligarchs and dictators” set up a company with strong ties to Venezuela, China and Iran. There are also the most peculiar claims about Dominion’s secret algorithms circulating the Internet.
The company’s reputation management has not been able calm the storm. In its response, it has revealed, among other things, its private, American ownership. The Canadian-based company recalls that the election results can be easily checked. And so it has been done. An MSN feature had counted whether Biden had received more votes in constituencies supported by the Dominion system. Regardless of the counting system, Biden was the winner in the review done by ten constituency states. Harri Hursti, an election security expert interviewed by the New York Times in Georgia, believes that Dominion is being blamed for actions that it is not guilty of.
From the perspective of traditional media and fact-checkers, Dominion seems to be telling the truth. However, the company had become a target of Trump supporters already in the previous election. Dominion had donated to the Clinton Foundation, but donations had also been made to Republican Senate Majority Leader. In a project supported by the Clinton Foundation in the Caribbean, Dominion equipment had been used.
Electronic voting possesses its own risks, which are also anticipated. It is common American practice that processes are decentralised. There are more than ten system vendors, three of which are considerably larger. This contributes to reducing the chance that fraud could be inflicted everywhere.
The Fastest Hand Wins
Individuals that seek to defend the truth lag behind when the perpetrator is free to choose its target. Since the information domain is filled quickly, one should, without hesitation, attempt to surpass their shortcomings. In the case of Dominion, it is seen that fact-checking and traditional journalism did not have time to alleviate the outrage. The idea that foreign forces and the opposition had fiddled with voting devices was planted in the susceptible minds of the people. And this case was just one of many complementary conspiracy theories .
People’s opinions are very difficult to alter. Those who make original claims can always demand more evidence. It is often difficult to give evidence of a non-event result. In similar contexts, the Kremlin’s explanations are often such that it disputes the facts presented by others and always demands more information. This cycle of denial and demand for additional information can be extended indefinitely.
Action against the truth is hostile, be it from any direction. To disassemble is easier than to repair. It will take decades to repair the trust that has now been tarnished.
Access to Unbiased or Diverse Information
The distributor of disinformation benefits from being able to decide where and when to start spreading fraudulent information. By preventing people from accessing information, the impact of the attack can be enhanced. Opinions are made so fast that perhaps even a day’s delay can cause irreversible damage. Sharing diverse information during elections is particularly important. This is another reason why the media should ensure its cyber security.
In free societies, there are various routes information can take and its flow is more difficult to prevent. By extensive circulation of disinformation, the assailant can reach the same desired result. The consumers believe it to be true due to the recurrence of similar stories, even if individually they seem inconceivable. Googling ‘Dominion’ will bring up very similar conspiracy theories on the subject.
The corona virus, new pandemics and the possible fears of terrorism bring about new problems to the voting system. Voters or journalists will not be able to meet the candidates. The reduction in natural contact weakens the link between the voter and the politician and underlines the importance of security, fairness and diversity in digital communications.
Social media giants provide us with information, yet whether it is unbiased is unknown. Studies have shown how recommendation algorithms reinforce bubbles. Invisible recommendation algorithms are particularly intimidating because it is not known how they restrict the flow of data. Companies themselves do not currently have enough incentives or regulation to ensure equal and reliable access to information for voters. In addition, we as citizens do not demand better access to information that we do not like. It is natural for us to surround ourselves with like-minded people and content.
Measurable security is only one dimension
I discussed the matter of electronic voting systems with two international experts. They were familiar with the systems and their undeniable advantages. The other turned to me and asked about the Finnish approach. I referred to the Finnish paper-ballot-booth voting system when answering: “We are very conservative in this matter. We have a reliable system and we do not want to give it up. ”
In connection with the previous Finnish elections the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Security Committee launched the “Best Elections in the World” campaign to remind people of the reliability of the system and that one should be proud of our election system. Finland’s simple and traditional way of voting is understood by everyone. Simple matters are easy to explain. What is easy to explain is credible.
Thus, the security of systems must be proven not only by facts but also by intuition and perception. In addition, evidence must be accessible when needed, which is starting to sound like an almost impossible feat. A cyber security system must not only be secure it must also look, sound and feel secure.
Antti Sillanpää
This piece was originally published on recent CyberwatchFinland magazine. More about the topic:
https://www.dominionvoting.com/election2020-setting-the-record-straight/
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-dominion-software-trump-law-idUSKBN27S2Z9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_Voting_Systems
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/rumor-alert-dominion-voting-systems-fraud-claims/
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/13/facebook-posts/no-evidence-dominion-voting-systems-caused-widespr/
https://heavy.com/news/dominion-voting-systems-glitch-clinton-pelosi-michigan-georgia/
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-legal-team-false-claims-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
