“Maryland’s electronic voting system remains “terribly vulnerable” to fraud despite steps taken by the state to correct security flaws, a consultant who conducted a study of the system last January testified Wednesday.

Michael Wertheimer of RABA Technologies said his review of the latest report by the State Board of Elections on what it is doing to protect the integrity of the November election “leads me to the opinion this system still would receive a failing grade.”

Wertheimer was a key witness on the opening day of a hearing in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in a suit filed by TrueVoteMD seeking to force the state to take further steps to assure that there will be an accurate counting of votes in the presidential election […]”

SOURCE: AP via WTOP News

“Until recently, much of the discussion among tech enthusiasts about a controversial anti-piracy bill known as the Induce Act has focused on the proposed law’s improbability.

Put forth by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the bill has been ridiculed by techies as so poorly written that it could unintentionally ban an infinite range of everyday tools – iPods, DVD burners, even paper and pencil.

But since its introduction, nine co-sponsors have signed on, both Democrats and Republicans […]”

SOURCE: Wired News

RELATED NOTE: See USACM’s letter on the Induce Act.

“Judge to Hear Activists’ Demand For Paper Trail on Electronic Ballots

When critics of electronic voting machines warn of Maryland becoming another Florida, with the potential for hundreds if not thousands of lost votes this fall, State Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone shudders.

[…] But today, Lamone finds the touch-screen system she has championed under attack as an Anne Arundel County judge begins a three-day hearing to determine, among other things, whether elections officials should be forced to provide a paper trail that can verify the results […]”

SOURCE: Washington Post [free registration required]

“In response to a request from a Senate committee, consumer electronics companies and public-interest groups on Tuesday submitted changes to a controversial copyright bill that would hold technology companies liable for encouraging people to infringe copyright.

The Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (SB2560), sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), is supported by the music labels and Hollywood studios, which say peer-to-peer software – which some music fans have used to share copyright files illegally – has wreaked havoc on their livelihood […]”

SOURCE: Wired News

RELATED NOTE: Also see USACM’s letter on the Induce Act.

“Microsoft on Monday withdrew from a United Nations software standards group for commerce, citing “business reasons.”

Earlier this year, Microsoft’s participation had created controversy within the group, which is attempting to define standards for creating a new generation of Internet services to automate buying and selling through networks of computers.”

[…] Two people who participate in the standards group said that several United States and European companies were concerned about intellectual property rights guidelines in effect within the group. The guidelines would force corporations who contribute technology to indemnify the United Nations against potential challenges involving intellectual property claims […]”

SOURCE: NY Times

USACM recently prepared a report covering activities and achievements for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2003, and concluding on June 31, 2004. During the period, USACM’s achievements included convening a workshop for election officials and technologists to discuss the risks and vulnerabilities of paperless electronic voting systems; educating policymakers and courts regarding the impacts of laws and legislation that may limit the freedom to publish and to engage in analysis and research; and working in partnership with the Computing Research Association and other key stakeholders from the computing community to highlight the crucial role federal investment in IT R&D plays in the advancement of all fields of computing and the development of new experts. Click here to review the report.

“An Army data-mining project that searched through JetBlue’s passenger records and sensitive personal information from a data broker to pinpoint possible terrorists did not violate federal privacy law, according to an investigation by the Army’s inspector general.

The inspector general’s findings (PDF) were accepted by some, but critics say the report simply highlights the inability of the country’s privacy laws to cope with 21st-century anti-terrorism efforts […]”

SOURCE: Wired News

“At first glance, it might seem like the simple extension of a standard tool in the fight against the bad guys.

But in fact, wiretapping Internet phones to monitor criminals and terrorists is costly and complex, and potentially a big burden on new businesses trying to sell the phone service.

Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to move forward with rules that would compel the businesses to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to eavesdrop on Internet calls […]”

SOURCE: NY Times [free registration required]

“California - Today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals made a crucial decision (PDF) in support of technology innovators by declaring that distributors of the peer-to-peer software Grokster and Morpheus cannot be held liable for the infringing activities of their users. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argued on behalf of Streamcast, the creator of the Morpheus software, in a case that pitted dozens of entertainment conglomerates against two small software companies.

The Ninth Circuit decision is based in part on the fact that P2P networks have significant non-infringing uses, and that they can help artists earn money. The ruling is similar to the Supreme Court’s decision in the 1984 Betamax case, which determined that Sony was not liable for copyright violations by users of the Betamax VCR. […]”

SOURCE: EFF

RELATED NOTE: Also see USACM’s letter on the Induce Act.

“The new national elections chairman this week praised computer scientists for calling attention to security problems with e-voting machines and for helping develop new standards for building machines that will be more secure in the future.

“The country owes you a debt of thanks to have taken this challenge of voting systems seriously,” DeForest B. Soaries Jr., chairman of the newly formed federal Election Assistance Commission, said to members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, who are in the process of drafting new standards for electronic voting systems. […]”

SOURCE: Wired News

“Federal agencies should move research money into supercomputing and cyber infrastructure in fiscal 2006, the Bush administration says.

Supercomputing and cyber infrastructure are two interagency areas to which agencies should reallocate funds from lower-priority research and development efforts, according to an Aug. 12 memo from the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy […]”

SOURCE: FCW

“Nevada election officials are confident that an electronic voting system being used for the state’s Sept. 7 primary will perform well, despite a problem that showed up in a demonstration of the technology this month in California. Nevada also plans to use the system for the general election in November […]”

SOURCE: ComputerWorld

“The proliferation of advertising programs on the PC is called by many names–most of which involve unprintable language. To the Slashdot crowd, it’s spyware and its authors should be burned at the stake. Some in Congress call it “cyber trespass” and want to outlaw specific “deceptive practices.” To Claria, the biggest company in the niche, it’s extraordinarily profitable to the tune of $90 million in revenue and $35 million in profit last year. To most Net surfers, it’s an annoyance they don’t understand […]”

SOURCE : CNET News.com

“The Congressional Budget Office [CBO] released a new study on digital copyright issues Tuesday, outlining economic problems that Congress should keep in mind as it grapples with making new laws.

While stopping short of specific legislative recommendations, the paper offers a set of principles for lawmakers that’s largely focused on avoiding being tied too closely to past practices or to the interests of powerful companies or consumer groups.

“Revisions to copyright law should be made without regard to the vested interests of particular business and consumer groups,” the congressional economists wrote. “Instead, they should be assessed with regard to their consequences for efficiency in markets for creative works and other products […]”

SOURCE: CNET News.com

NOTE: CBO study is available here.

“The government is increasingly using corporations to do its surveillance work, allowing it to get around restrictions that protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans, according to a report released Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that works to protect civil liberties.

Data aggregators – companies that aggregate information from numerous private and public databases – and private companies that collect information about their customers are increasingly giving or selling data to the government to augment its surveillance capabilities and help it track the activities of people […]”

SOURCE: Wired News

NOTE: ACLU press release and report available here.

“WASHINGTON, AUG. 4 (UPI) – Anger over limits on access to research results, due largely to high publication prices, has risen to the point a federal backlash is brewing.

Congress is moving to force a shift to “open access,” a form of free-to-consumer publishing, for scientific papers. The move angers commercial publishers, who see their livelihoods threatened, and scares scientific societies, who are afraid they will face revenue losses or new costs they cannot afford. Even librarians, who pushed for the move, are cautious, because they are concerned for the health of the scientific societies.

Peer-reviewed journals are the life’s blood of scientific research […]”

SOURCE: UPI

“The State Department is moving ahead with a plan to implant electronic identification chips in U.S. passports that will allow computer matching of facial characteristics, despite warnings that the technology is prone to a high rate of error.

Federal researchers, academics, industry experts and some privacy advocates say the government should instead use more-reliable fingerprints to help thwart potential terrorists […]”

SOURCE: Wash. Post [registration required]

“With a $1 billion R&D budget requested for fiscal 2006, the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding advanced systems to detect biological, chemical, nuclear and cyber threats to U.S. citizens and infrastructures […]”

SOURCE: GCN

Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates on Monday called on the academic community to recruit more students into the software field as the company introduced a $1 million fund for university research.

Speaking at a meeting between Microsoft Research and about 400 academics at its Redmond, Wash., headquarters, Gates said attracting the brightest minds in academia to work on software is vital to the growth of the computing industry and the economy […]

SOURCE: CNET News.com

USACM Co-Chair Gene Spafford was recently awarded the ACM Special Interest Group on Computers and Society (SIGCAS) 2004 “Making a Difference Award.” The award is given annually to an individual nationally recognized for work related to the interaction of computers and society. The recipient is a leader in promoting awareness of ethical and social issues in computing. The recipients of this award and the award itself encourage responsible action by computer professionals.

SIGCAS brings together computer professionals, specialists in other fields, and the public at large to address concerns and raise awareness about the ethical and societal impact of computers.

CONTENTS

[1] USACM Voices Reservations About Induce Act (S. 2560)
[2] USACM Endorses Congressional Testimony on IT R&D
[3] Risks and Vulnerabilities of E-voting Continue to Stir Controversy
[4] New Federal Court Decision and Administration Action Affect Privacy
[5] CRA Awards Simons and Klawe at Snowbird Conference
[6] Computer Science and Telecommunications Board Appoints New Co-Chairs
[7] European Policymakers Issue Report on DRM

[An archive of all previous editions of Washington Update is available here.]
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