Technical Director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University
Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and Technical Director of its Information Security Institute; author of Brave New Ballot: The Battle to Safeguard Democracy in the Age of Electronic Voting; Maryland Elections Judge
How Hackers Can Watch You through Your Webcam Webcam technology can connect you with loved ones or colleagues across the country or around the world, but it also can be an easy target for hackers who can spy on your every move and profit from advertising. A website in Russian is streaming feeds from webcams with lax password security — violating the privacy of many people who are plugged in. The operators claim they’re warning users their cameras aren’t secure, but the site is festooned with advertisements. Avi Rubin is Professor of Computer Science and the Technical Director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
California Voting Machines Decertified, Susceptible to Hackers With the first presidential primaries just six months away, are America's voting systems accurate and secure from tampering? The eyes of election officials around the country are focused on the biggest state in the Union and crucial for candidates of both parties in the presidential primaries on February 5, 2008. But California Secretary of State Debra Bowen has thrown election officials into a frenzy by refusing to certify electronic voting machines in 39 of 58 counties—including Los Angeles, the biggest county of all. Avi Rubin is a computer scientist at Johns Hopkins University and elections judge in Maryland.
Are America's Elections Free and Fair? In America, the right to vote is supposedly sacred, but conflicting laws and shady practices cast doubt on the fairness and accuracy of many elections. Electronic voting machines are the latest cause for concern about technological snafus, ill-trained poll workers, and opportunities for partisan manipulation. Using computer software, Texas Republicans and California Democrats have drawn district boundaries that virtually guarantee who wins and who loses. After the vote-count debacle in Florida, which decided the year 2000 presidential election, Congress passed HAVA , the Help America Vote Act. What's happened to election reform?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.