By Andrew Oxford | Arizona Republic
Arizonans still vote on paper but much of an election unfolds online, from finding a polling place to requesting a mail ballot.
Cyber security experts worry election officials in some of the state’s counties are not doing enough to secure their websites and prevent fraudsters from sowing disinformation or spreading confusion.
Most of the county recorders in Arizona are not using one of two basic safety measures that cyber security firm McAfee is encouraging local governments adopt.
The company is urging election officials to use web addresses ending in .gov as well as secure sockets layer — encryption commonly used on websites that handle passwords, credit card information and other sensitive data.
Without these measures, it could be easier for saboteurs to hijack a website and steal users’ data or provide false information, particularly heading into an election that experts anticipate will be targeted with disinformation.
