Hackers could influence the outcomes of November’s elections, a computer science professor who has demonstrated security weaknesses in voting machines told lawmakers on Wednesday. “It’s possible,” said Andrew Appel, a professor at Princeton University, at a House Oversight IT subcommittee hearing focused on election cybersecurity. But Appel, who has hacked voting machines used in many states, was the only one to reply affirmatively when subpanel Chairman Will Hurd (R-Texas) asked for a “yes” or “no” answer to the question, “Can a cyberattack change the outcome of our national elections?” The four other people testifying — including a secretary of state, the chairman of the federal agency that assists with elections, a top Department of Homeland Security cyber official and the head of a public policy firm’s division focused on voting rights — all essentially answered “no.”
The DHS official, Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications Andy Ozment, later clarified his answer to stress that DHS was not resting on its laurels. “We have to always be vigilant,” he said. “In the field of cybersecurity, we can never relax.”
But Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) wasn’t completely soothed by the responses from the four witnesses. “My view is they don’t have to hack 50 states,” he said. “In a close presidential election, they just need to hack one swing state. Or maybe one or two. Or maybe just a few counties in one swing state.”
Full Article: Computer researcher to Congress: ‘It’s possible’ for hackers to alter election – POLITICO.