ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE (EVM) HACKING?
Jan. 24, 2019

As EVM hacking is in public focus again, it is important to look at some of the fundamental technical elements of EVM hacking. 

 

There are two ways by which an electronic device can be hacked: wired and wireless. 

Wired Hacking: 

  • In order to hack a machine, the best way is to establish a wired link with its control unit, called the microprocessor. 

  • Hacking a device through a wired connection essentially means designing another electronic device, which is able to send a specific pattern of information that its brain can read and interpret. 

  • In a recent demonstration at the University of Michigan, scientists used this kind of hacking in the context of an EVM, where they used a specifically designed chip that was physically plugged into its control unit. 

Wireless Hacking:

  • In wireless hacking, one does not need a physical connection with the device, but still need a basic understanding of the control unit or the target device and its operational instructions. 

  • In order to hack a device using a wireless link, the device needs to have a radio receiver which comprises an electronic circuit and an antenna. 

  • The Election Commission claims that EVMs do not have any such circuit element. 

  • Let us assume that someone has designed a special kind of electronic circuit, which is ultra-small and is artificially inserted in an EVM, so that it gets hooked to its control unit. But then there are various challenges. 

Challenges in Wireless Hacking:

  • There are very few companies in the world with the expertise to design and fabricate such a device at the chip level. 

  • The designers would need access to the actual circuit board of the EVM in order to design the electronic interface. 

  • The design of a single device at the chip level can cost a couple of million dollars. The overall cost of getting such devices in millions would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. 

  • One would also need a specifically designed antenna, which interfaces with the transceiver circuit. But the antenna would always stick out and remain visible due to its size and to ensure a seamless wireless link. 

Should India move back to paper-based voting?

  • Some sections argue switching to paper-based voting. 

  • But that is even more susceptible to being hacked through booth capturing, artificial manipulation of ballots, change of ballot paper, and many different ways. 

  • In the current age, where printers and computers are readily available, it would take a couple of hours to duplicate ballot papers, print them and dispatch them to the specific voting booths. 

  • Western countries that have refused to opt for EVMs are small, have a small number of voters, and have strong policing systems that prevent manual hacking and manipulation of ballots. 

Concluding remarks: 

  • In the debate around claims of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) hacking, the voices of technical experts remain silent and what dominates is the shallow opinion of some self-proclaimed experts, politicians and political experts. 

  • According to technical experts, the best people can request for is glass packaging of the EVM, so that all its components are visible to people and experts who have any suspicion about their operation, instead of raising random questions on EVM hacking. 

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/an-expert-explains-hack-evms-defy-science-5552983/