[Tfug] A really, really interesting job opportunity...
Jim March
1.jim.march at gmail.com
Tue Apr 17 08:22:50 MST 2012
To all: I'll bring it just a wee bit back on-topic (kinda). Below starts
with my response to Zack...
On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 7:24 AM, Zack Williams <zdwzdw at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 4:42 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > This evening I'm going over to the Pima County Libertarian Party
> chairman's
> > house to pick up a signed set of election observer credentials for
> > tomorrow's election. You seem to be suggesting that it's wrong for me
> to do
> > this?
>
> Looking back at my hastily dashed off email, I was being overly
> idealistic and came across too harsh. Sorry about that Jim.
>
> There's definitely room for working pragmatically in a flawed system,
> if that's the only practical option.
>
> - Zack
>
Zack, I wasn't actually upset :). But you're just beginning to delve into
issues I've been dealing with for years :).
To bring it SLIGHTLY back on topic (at least into the world of geek-dom) -
here's a bunch of line entries for a Windows System Event Log from the
3/13/2012 election for mayor of Flagstaff AZ I got ahold of last night -
this is in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest):
---
3/12/2012 6:36:17 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 135 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface REMOVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 6:34:30 PM Removable Storage Service Error None
17 N/A COCONINO RSM cannot manage library PhysicalDrive1. It
encountered an unspecified error. This can be caused by a number of
problems including, but not limited to, database corruption, failure
communicating with the library, or insufficient system resources.
3/12/2012 6:34:14 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 134 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface ARRIVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 6:13:57 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 135 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface REMOVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 6:12:55 PM Removable Storage Service Error None
17 N/A COCONINO RSM cannot manage library PhysicalDrive1. It
encountered an unspecified error. This can be caused by a number of
problems including, but not limited to, database corruption, failure
communicating with the library, or insufficient system resources.
3/12/2012 6:12:40 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 134 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface ARRIVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 6:09:18 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 135 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface REMOVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 6:08:50 PM Removable Storage Service Error None
17 N/A COCONINO RSM cannot manage library PhysicalDrive1. It
encountered an unspecified error. This can be caused by a number of
problems including, but not limited to, database corruption, failure
communicating with the library, or insufficient system resources.
3/12/2012 6:08:34 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 134 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface ARRIVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 5:51:16 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 135 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface REMOVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 5:27:43 PM Removable Storage Service Error None
17 N/A COCONINO RSM cannot manage library PhysicalDrive1. It
encountered an unspecified error. This can be caused by a number of
problems including, but not limited to, database corruption, failure
communicating with the library, or insufficient system resources.
3/12/2012 5:27:27 PM Removable Storage Service Information
None 134 N/A COCONINO Received a device interface ARRIVAL
notification for device:
\\?\USBSTOR#Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_U3_Cruzer_Micro&Rev_4.05#0000187DA572D9A8&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
3/12/2012 5:17:44 PM Print Information None 10
COCONINO\Administrator COCONINO Document 34, GEMS CARD CAST REPORT
owned by Administrator was printed on HP LaserJet 5100 PCL 6 via port
LPT1:. Size in bytes: 47991; pages printed: 2
---
Jim again. This was an all-mail-in election. According to other logs they
scanned in about 2/3rds of the mail-in votes into the system on 3/12 (the
day before the election), finishing around 5:00pm or a bit before. This
earliest entry above (closest to the bottom) shows a "cards cast report"
getting printed - this is normal, it shows how many ballots got scanned
through the system but NOT what's on 'em.
And then somebody went completely nuts with a "Sandisk U3 Cruzer Micro" USB
memory stick.
Anybody care to guess how wildly improper that is? The day BEFORE the
election, when live votes are scanned in the machine?
There is literally nothing legit that could be going on regarding that
thing. If they're putting data or apps (batch files, javascript, whatever)
onto the system, that's a problem. If they're pulling data off, that's if
anything worse - the whole database of votes is in MS-Access (I have a copy
of that too, and I've opened it in MS-Access 2007!). Maybe they just did
an off-site archive of a backup file - maybe, but this isn't how they're
supposed to do it! Remember, this is an un-patched copy of Windows 2000(!)
with no anti-virus and no Internet connection. If they're going to back up
data, it's supposed to be to the included CD-R drive and copy of Nero
that's on there.
Sticking a USB memory stick in there from sources unknown is like having
bareback sex with it.
And we can see they stuck it in there at least four times over a one-hour
period. Doesn't look at all like a one-time backup to me. Looks a lot
more like they copied the data elsewhere, tampered with it in MS-Access on
another box, brought it in and tried it out. Rinse and repeat a couple
times...
Now ask me why I pay attention to this stuff.
Ghaaa.
Jim
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