Page 24 - AT

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 5 July 2019

Server image mystery in Georgia election security case

By FRANK BAJAK March 2017 when it investi-
AP Cybersecurity Writer gated the security hole. The
The case of whether hack- FBI has not responded to re-
ers may have tampered peated requests by the AP
with elections in Georgia to confirm that it continues
has taken another strange to possess the data. FBI At-
turn. lanta spokeswoman Jenna
Nearly two years ago, Sellitto wouldn’t say wheth-
state lawyers in a closely er the FBI has examined the
watched election integrity data on that image to de-
lawsuit told the judge they termine whether any tam-
intended to subpoena the pering or other malicious
FBI for the forensic image, activity occurred.
or digital snapshot, the The election integrity law-
agency made of a crucial suit, which entered the ev-
server before state elec- idence-gathering phase in
tion officials quietly wiped it May, aims to force Georgia
clean. Election watchdogs to immediately replace its
want to examine the data outdated electronic touch-
to see if there might have This Sept. 22, 2016 file photo shows the screen of an electronic voting machine during testing at screen election technol-
been tampering, given the Kennesaw State University Center for Election Systems in Kennesaw, Ga. ogy with a trustworthy sys-
that the server was left ex- Associated Press tem with auditable paper
posed by a gaping security been fighting for access to would say why the sub- because the server in ques- ballots.
hole for more than half a the state’s black-box vot- poena was never filed. Nor tion had a gaping security Under a new law signed
year. ing systems and to individ- would they say whether hole that went unpatched by Kemp, Georgia plans
A new email obtained by ual voting machines, many they had obtained the for more than six months to buy a voting system by
The Associated Press says of which they say have also data through other means before being publicly ex- year’s end that uses elec-
state officials never did is- been altered in violation of for secure safekeeping. The posed. Data on the server tronic ballot-marking de-
sue the subpoena, even court order. FBI in Atlanta also wouldn’t included passwords used vices. Plaintiffs reject those
though the judge had or- Marilyn Marks of the Coali- say whether it has provided by county officials to ac- devices as inadequate to
dered that evidence be tion for Good Governance, the state with a copy. cess elections manage- guarantee reliable audits
preserved, including from a plaintiff in the case, said In response to a query from ment files. and recounts.
the FBI. that if the state failed to an attorney for the plain- Technicians at the Cen- Kemp has also been ac-
The FBI data is central to secure the data from the tiffs, Belinfante wrote in a ter for Elections Systems at cused of voter suppression.
activists’ challenge to FBI — despite informing U.S. June 27 email obtained Kennesaw State University, State election officials are
Georgia’s highly ques- District Judge Amy Toten- by The Associated Press which then ran the state’s also defendants in a law-
tioned, centrally admin- berg in October 2017 of that “while a subpoena election system, erased suit filed by an organization
istered elections system, its intent to do so with the was contemplated by prior the server’s data on July 7, founded by Stacey Abrams
which lacks an auditable subpoena — it clearly has counsel, it was never sent.” 2017, less than a week after , the Democrat he narrowly
paper trail and was run something to hide. In a statement Tuesday the voting integrity suit was defeated last year. It claims
at the time by Gov. Brian “If they have destroyed re- evening, Georgia’s deputy filed. they mismanaged the No-
Kemp, then Georgia’s sec- cords then it can be pre- secretary of state, Jordan After the AP reported on it vember 2018 election in
retary of state. sumed that those records Fuchs, called any accusa- three months later, Kemp ways that deprived minori-
The plaintiffs contend would have shown our al- tion that her office has not denied ordering the data ties of their right to vote.
Kemp’s handling of the legations to be true,” Marks complied with a court or- destruction or knowing Malfunctioning voting ma-
wiped server is the most said. der “completely false,” but about it in advance and chines and long lines in
glaring example of mis- Neither the Secretary of refused further comment. called it reckless, inexcus- districts with large minor-
management that could State’s office nor an at- The FBI data could reveal able and inept. ity populations are among
be hiding evidence of torney representing it in whether hackers tampered But the FBI had a forensic problems it cites. Kemp de-
vote tampering. They have the case, Josh Belinfante, with elections in Georgia backup, which it made in nies the accusation.q

Wimbledon reworks AI tech to

reduce bias in game highlights

By KELVIN CHAN of footage and automati- which runs until July 19, the
AP Business Writer cally pick out the best shots AI has been tweaked to
LONDON (AP) — Efforts to from matches played on its balance out any favorit-
make artificial intelligence 18 courts. ism shown to a player who
fairer now extend to Wim- The AI chooses the mo- gestures more or has a
bledon’s courts. ments based on criteria louder fan base. The goal
The All England Club, which including whether a player is to make sure an equally
hosts the famed British ten- does a fist pump and how skilled yet more reserved
nis event, is adding tech- much the audience cheers opponent gets similar ex-
nology enhancements after a point. posure.
at this year’s tournament Fans can then watch the “Just because you don’t
aimed at eliminating bias assembled videos online pump your fist doesn’t
from computer generated and players can use them mean it’s not a good shot,”
Staff monitor game data and work on match analysis at an video highlights. to review their perfor- said Sam Seddon, a client
operations room during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships The club has already been mance. executive at IBM, the club’s
in London, Wednesday, July 3, 2019.
Associated Press using AI to go through hours For this year’s tournament, technology provider. q