A “village” of hackers is beefing up election security
Until about a decade ago, independent cybersecurity researchers in the United States weren’t allowed to examine voting machines for potential vulnerabilities. But that ban was essentially lifted in 2015.
Two years later, DEF CON — one of the largest hacker conventions — decided to invite hackers, cybersecurity researchers and election officials to find those flaws during its annual Voting Village event.
Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Catherine Terranova, executive director of Voting Village and the Election Integrity Foundation, about how they balance the well-intentioned work of finding vulnerabilities before bad actors do and the problem of misinformation around the security of voting machines.
This conversation is part of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series “Decoding Democracy.” Watch the full episode here or on our YouTube channel.
More on everything we talked about
“DEF CON Voting Village matures as industry keeps its distance” from Cyberscoop (2019)
“The nation’s best hackers found vulnerabilities in voting machines — but no time to fix them” from Politico (2024)
“How DEF CON’s election hackers are trying to protect themselves” from Politico (2024)
The future of this podcast starts with you.
Every day, the “Marketplace Tech” team demystifies the digital economy with stories that explore more than just Big Tech. We’re committed to covering topics that matter to you and the world around us, diving deep into how technology intersects with climate change, inequity, and disinformation.
As part of a nonprofit newsroom, we’re counting on listeners like you to keep this public service paywall-free and available to all.
Support “Marketplace Tech” in any amount today and become a partner in our mission.
