A Wisconsin Elections Commission security official is expressing concern that outdated operating systems are being used by local elections clerks across the state, raising the prospect of foreign interference in Wisconsin’s elections ahead of the 2020 presidential race.
In a memo, Election Security Lead Tony Bridges details how a number of local clerks are using Windows XP or Windows 7 on office computers to access the WisVote voter database. According to Bridges, failure to maintain an up-to-date operating system poses “a tremendous risk.”
kAm$64FC:EJ A2E496D @? (:?5@HD )! 92G6 ?@E 366? DFAA@CE65 D:?46 a_`c[ H9:=6 (:?5@HD f H:== C6249 :ED 6?5\@7\=:76 4J4=6 :? y2?F2CJ a_a_[ >62?:?8 |:4C@D@7E H:== ?@ =@?86C AC@G:56 7C66 D64FC:EJ FA52E6D]k^Am
kAm• #t{p%tsi qC@HD6 @FC |6>36C r@?E6?E 2C49:G6Dk^Am
kAmqC:586D A@:?E65 E@ 2 C646?E 4J36C2EE24< :? v6@C8:2 E92E 3C@F89E 5@H? DJDE6>D 24C@DD y24<D@? r@F?EJ 2?5 H2C?65 2 D:>:=2C 2EE24< 4@F=5 “5C2>2E:42==J :>A24E G@E6C 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 6=64E@C2= AC@46DD” :? (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
kAm“xE 4@F=5[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 6IA@D6 4@?7:56?E:2= :?7@C>2E:@?[ AC6G6?E E96 E:>6=J 5:DEC:3FE:@? @7 23D6?E66 32==@ED[ AC6G6?E E96 E:>6=J AC:?E:?8 @7 A@== 3@@<D[ 5:DCFAE 4@>>F?:42E:@?D H:E9 G@E6CD[ 6IA@D6 G@E6CD E@ A@E6?E:2= 4J36C2EE24<[ 56DEC@J 5:8:E2= C64@C5D[ AC6G6?E E96 5:DA=2J @7 6=64E:@? ?:89E C6DF=ED[” 96 HC@E6 C646?E=J]k^Am
kAm%@ AC6G6?E E9@D6 9JA@E96E:42=D 7C@> 364@>:?8 C62=:EJ[ qC:586D C64@>>6?565 DE6AD E@ 3@@DE 4J36CD64FC:EJik^Am
kAm• x?DE:EFE:?8 D@\42==65 “6?5\A@:?E E6DE:?8” E@ 56E6C>:?6 GF=?6C23:=:EJ] %96 D@7EH2C6 E@ 42CCJ @FE E9:D E6DE:?8 42CC:6D 2 AC:46 E28 @7 Seh[___]k^Am
kAm• $E2CE:?8 2 =@2?6C AC@8C2> E92E H@F=5 AC@G:56 FA\E@\52E6 4@>AFE6CD E@ >F?:4:A2=:E:6D @? 2 E6>A@C2CJ 32D:D[ H9:49 qC:586D 6DE:>2E6D 4@F=5 4@DE 2D >F49 2D Sb__[___]k^Am
kAm• p55:?8 2 7656C2==J 7F?565 A@D:E:@? E@ >2?286 D6CG:46D 2?5 AC@G:56 E649?:42= DFAA@CE 7@C 4=6C<D]k^Am
kAm%96 >6>@ H2D C6=62D65 :? 25G2?46 @7 2 (tr E6=64@?76C6?46 D4965F=65 7@C pF8] `b 2E H9:49 4@>>:DD:@?6CD H:== 36 8:G6? E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 2AAC@G6 E96 C64@>>6?52E:@?D]k^Am
kAm~77:46 4@>AFE6CD 2C6 ?@E E96 @?=J A:646D @7 6=64E:@? E649?@=@8J CF??:?8 @FE\@7\52E6 D@7EH2C6] p k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m 4964< 7@F?5 >F?:4:A2=:E:6D 24C@DD (:D4@?D:? FD:?8 G@E:?8 >249:?6D 7C@> t=64E:@? $JDE6>D U2>Aj $@7EH2C6 E92E 2C6 DE:== CF??:?8 (:?5@HD f]k^Am
kAmx? 2 >6>@ @3E2:?65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m[ t$U2>Aj$ :?7@C>65 =@42= 4=6C<D |:4C@D@7E H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ @776C 6IE6?565 D64FC:EJ FA52E6D 7@C (:?5@HD f E9C@F89 a_ab 7@C 2 U=5BF@j?@>:?2= 4@DE A6C =:46?D6UC5BF@j 27E6C E96 D@7EH2C6 C62496D :ED 6?5 @7 =:76 4J4=6] |F=E:A=6 4=6C<D E@=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m E96J H6C6 F?DFC6 H9@ H@F=5 A:4< FA E96 E23 7@C E96 6IE6?565 D64FC:EJ 3FE :?5:42E65 :E H@F=5 >@DE =:<6=J 72== @? E96 =@42= >F?:4:A2=:E:6D]k^Am
kAm%92E 2=2C>65 6=64E:@? D64FC:EJ 6IA6CE s@F8 y@?6D[ 2 4@>AFE6C D4:6?46 AC@76DD@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 x@H2 H9@ DA64:2=:K6D :? 6=64EC@?:4 G@E:?8 D64FC:EJ] w6 E@=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m E92E U=5BF@j3J 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ FD6 E9:D 2C492:4 DJDE6>[ A6@A=6 2C6 =62G:?8 E96>D6=G6D @A6? E@ 2EE24<]UC5BF@jk^Am
kAm“(:?5@HD f 92D 366? @? E96 >2C<6E 7@C J62CD 2?5 ;FDE 23@FE 6G6CJ D64FC:EJ GF=?6C23:=:EJ :? :E :D <?@H? E@ E96 >2=H2C6 4C62E@CD 2?5 924<6CD @7 E96 H@C=5[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 4=6C<D[ 2D H6== 2D (tr DA@<6D>2? #6:5 |28?6J[ 5@H?A=2J65 E96D6 4@?46C?D E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m :? C646?E :?E6CG:6HD] |28?6J DEC6DD65 E96 724E E92E 3@E9 E96 G@E6 E23F=2E:@? 56G:46D 2?5 E96 6=64E:@? >2?286>6?E 4@>AFE6CD FD65 E@ AC@8C2> E96> 2C6 2:C\82AA65[ >62?:?8 E96J 2C6 ?6G6C 4@??64E65 E@ E96 x?E6C?6E]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ y@?6D D2JD E96 6=64E:@? D64FC:EJ H@C=5 92D E@@=D 7@C ;F>A:?8 E96 D@\42==65 2:C 82A[ :?4=F5:?8 2 >6E9@5 H:56=J 2EEC:3FE65 E@ E96 &]$] 2?5 xDC26=: ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ 286?4:6D E92E HC62<65 92G@4 @? E96 xC2?:2? ?F4=62C AC@8C2> :? a_`_]k^Am
kAm“%92E 7C2>6H@C< 7@C 2EE24<:?8 DJDE6>D 24C@DD 2:C 82AD :D A2CE @7 E96 8=@32= >2=H2C6 E@@=<:E E96D6 52JD[” 96 D2:5] “p:C 82AD 2C6 FD67F=[ 3FE :E E2<6D >@C6 E92? >6C6 2:C 82AD] xE E2<6D >@C6 E92? E96 >6C6 4=2:> E92E E96D6 DJDE6>D 2C6?’E 2EE24965 E@ E96 x?E6C?6E]”k^Am
kAmt$U2>Aj$ D2:5 :? E96 >6>@ E@ =@42= 4=6C<D E92E :E 3682? E96 AC@46DD @7 :?E68C2E:?8 (:?5@HD `_ :?E@ :ED 92C5H2C6 D9@CE=J 27E6C E96 D@7EH2C6 H2D =2F?4965 2?5 :D @? E2C86E E@ 4@>A=6E6 7656C2= E6DE:?8 E9C@F89 E96 &]$] t=64E:@? pDD:DE2?46 r@>>:DD:@? 3J 62C=J 72== (:?5@HD `_ 92D 366? @? E96 >2C<6E D:?46 a_`d]k^Am
kAm“~?46 7656C2= 46CE:7:42E:@? :D 4@>A=6E6[ t$U2>Aj$ H:== E2<6 E96 ?6H D@7EH2C6 E@ 6249 C6DA64E:G6 DE2E6 7@C DE2E6 E6DE:?8 2?5 2AAC@G2=[” E96 >6>@ D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E >:89E 36 E@@ =2E6 7@C D@>6 4=6C<D[ DF49 2D s2?6 r@F?EJ’D $4@EE |4s@?6==]k^Am
kAmw6 E@=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m :? 2 C646?E :?E6CG:6H E92E 2?J D@7EH2C6 FA52E6 H@F=5 ?665 E@ 36 :? A=246 3J E9:D }@G6>36C] ~E96CH:D6[ 96 D2:5[ 96 H@F=5 42CCJ @? FD:?8 (:?5@HD f @? D@>6 56G:46D E9C@F89 E96 a_a_ AC6D:56?E:2= 6=64E:@? E@ 6?DFC6 9:D =@42= 4=6C<D H@F=5 36 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 DJDE6>D E96J H@F=5 36 FD:?8]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E =:<6 492?8:?8 2?JE9:?8 8@:?8 @? 2 AC6D:56?E:2= J62C[” 96 D2:5] “x7 E96C6’D 2 D?27F :? 2? @77\J62C[ E96? :E’D :? E96 W(:D4@?D:?X $E2E6 y@FC?2= @C (:D!@=:E:4D] x7 :E’D :? 2 AC6D:56?E:2= J62C[ :E’D :? E96 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2=2?5 E96 }6H *@C< %:>6D]”k^Am
kAmk6>m%96 r2A:E@= #6A@CE :D HC:EE6? 3J 65:E@C:2= DE277 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>Qm(:D!@=:E:4D]4@>k^2m[ 2 ?@?A2CE:D2?[ |25:D@?\32D65 ?6HD D6CG:46 E92E DA64:2=:K6D :? 4@G6C286 @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 A@=:E:4D[ 2?5 :D 5:DEC:3FE65 7@C AF3=:42E:@? 3J >6>36CD @7 E96 (:D4@?D:? }6HDA2A6C pDD@4:2E:@?]k^6>mk^Am