I am not a cyber security expert and have never suggested it or claimed it.
When I refer to security I’m talking about internal control, mostly.
Otherwise, I’m probably like you are — know enough about data security to configure a reasonably secure server and network, basics of encryption technologies, and in my case the experiences I’ve had with viruses in the wild and about a half dozen encounters with crypto viruses before they were well known. I don’t claim expertise beyond that of an extremely knowledgeable IT guy.
When I refer to security I’m speaking generally of internal controls that are necessary for securely handling money, negotiable instruments, stock certificates, sources of cash, valuable tokens, and other things of value. There are principles and procedures that must be adhered to or people I’ll abscond with things of value. It is not difficult it you try but the post important point is procedure.
If you have ever been in a casino, you will notice that every person who handles money or chips at a table will “clap in” and “clap out” of the table or situation. It is a procedure that is mandated and carefully watched by the sky to ensure nothing is brought into or taken out of a situation involving anything of value — money or chips or anything else e.g. dice.
This is how you protect assets. Every move is monitored in a prepared way. You don’t have unexpected incidents. Like last minute decisions to say you are through counting for the night and everyone should go home, then four or five people stay late and count money while the regular security and observers aren’t in the room. After claiming all day you’re going to shut down due to a leak in a water main that turns out to be a running toilet.
When these things happen every frame must be on video, studied, the personnel questioned extensively on a frame by frame basis, machine totals examined historically, with a detailed accounting presented to stakeholders (in the case of votes, the public).
If you are prepared for these things you can have done it. If not, it may not be possible to know what happened undless ALL controls are in place. For example, in a casino, the “drop” is counted on a stringent routine: drop boxes are exchanged for empty on a regular basis, pit bosses record every 100 that goes in the box even during the busiest of times. And everything is accountable. If money is missing someone has to be able show on the video how it happened.
The point is there is a procedure for every eventuality. They are similar or identical in every procedure. New people come on and they are familiar with the routine first night on the job.
What I saw in Nov of 20 was total confusion in PA, Fulton, Detroit, Etc., was mass confusion. In Detroit they have people blocking the windows. So Republican observers could not see in. Seriously? In Fulton, they simply refuse to follow procedure on signature patches, resulting in a zero percent mismatch (vs 3+% historically), a glaring, blinking red light.
It was a train wreck. Anyone who saw it and didn’t serious doubt the result simply wasn’t aware of the basics of fraud prevention. When a lot of unlikely shit happens it probably is an isolated accident. For the first time in history, major county operations turned off the lights and went home saying, yeah, we are going to finish some other day. Could,take a week. No shit?
At that point the burden of proof fell on them and they didn’t handle it. |
