Dangerous New Security Hole Found in Diebold Voting Machines

Election officials in several states have found a new security flaw in the Diebold's touch screen voting machines. This hole is considered more worrisome than other common problems found in voting machines, including weak encryption methods, physical locks that can be easily picked, and weak password protection.

The newly discovered flaw would allow a person with only basic knowledge of the machines and components available at any computer store to redistribute votes. The new security glitch is considered more fundamental to the machinery's operation than previously discovered holes.

"This is the barn door being wide open, while people were arguing over the lock on the front door," said Douglas W. Jones, a professor of computer science at the University of Iowa, a state where the primary is June 6.

Diebold is one of the three machines certified for use in Florida by the Florida Secretary of State.