Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/29245-security-risk-for-online-voting on December 23, 2024 15:15

Security risk for online voting

William Foster made this Official Information request to Government Communications Security Bureau

Response to this request is delayed. By law, Government Communications Security Bureau should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)

From: William Foster

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,

In 2019, during the Government discussions on proposals to introduce online voting for local and national elections in NZ, you advised that risks of hacking were high and that the Government should not proceed with the option. e.g. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/...

Online voting systems have improved security substantially since then and have been reliably used in Estonia and Switzerland. The Swiss Open Source system in particular appears sufficiently robust. https://evoting-community.post.ch/en/abo...

With the decline of letter post, online voting options will need to be reviewed again at least for 2028/2029 local and national elections.

Please provide any advice you have given since 2019 to the public or local or national agencies on the security implications or risks of online voting.

Do you have any current assessment of those security risks and, if so, can you provide it to assist current discussions?

This query relates only to the integrity and security of systems to provide online voting capability. It does request documents or assessments related to the obvious, growing, and likely more extensive risks of election outcome influencing through distribution of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda, or bribery or political funding.

Yours faithfully,

William Foster

Link to this

From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Tēnā koe,

Thank you for your Official Information Act request.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than 20 working days after the day that your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact [GCSB request email].

Ngā mihi,
GCSB

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Tēnā koe,

Thank you for your Official Information Act request.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than 20 working days after the day that your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact [GCSB request email].

Ngā mihi,
GCSB

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Hi William

 

Can you please advise if the second sentence of the below paragraph is
meant to say: "It does not request documents or assessments…”?

 

This query relates only to the integrity and security of systems to
provide online voting capability. It does request documents or assessments
related to the obvious, growing, and likely more extensive risks of
election outcome influencing through distribution of misinformation,
disinformation and propaganda, or bribery or political funding.

 

Thanks

GCSB

 

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: William Foster

Dear Information (GCSB),

Thanks for this.

Yes. Sorry! The "not" got omitted in editing... It should say -
"It does not request documents or assessments…”

Yours sincerely,

William Foster

Link to this

From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Kia ora William,

We refer to your official information request dated 19 November 2024 as outlined below.

The Official Information Act 1982 requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20 working days after the day that we received your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit and we are, therefore, writing to notify you of an extension of the time to make our decision by 20 working days, to 5 February 2025.

This extension is necessary because the consultations necessary to make a decision on your request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free to contact [GCSB request email].

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/ or freephone 0800 802 602.

Ngā mihi
GCSB

show quoted sections

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Government Communications Security Bureau only: