(Kristina Ko, U-M Washington Office)
J. Alex Halderman (second from right), professor of electrical engineering and computer science, testified before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at a June 21 hearing titled “Russian Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election.” It focused on the federal government’s role in safeguarding U.S. elections from outside interference. Halderman emphasized that “our highly computerized election infrastructure is vulnerable to sabotage, and to cyberattacks that could change votes.” Halderman and his colleagues say the U.S. can safeguard elections through: upgrading and replacing obsolete and vulnerable voting machines, consistently and routinely checking that elections results are accurate, and applying cybersecurity best practices to the design of voting equipment and the management of elections. Halderman fielded questions from the senators about his research and policy recommendations. Read Halderman’s article in the Washington Post.
