This Tool Was Supposed To Detect Election Hacking. Now It's A Misinformation Target
This Tool Was Supposed To Detect Election Hacking. Now It's A Misinformation Target
A video screengrab of the meeting earlier this year where Ferry County commissioners voted to remove a cybersecurity device called an Albert sensor from the Washington state county's computer network. Ferry County, Wash./Screenshot provided by Austin Jenkins/Northwest News Network hide caption
A video screengrab of the meeting earlier this year where Ferry County commissioners voted to remove a cybersecurity device called an Albert sensor from the Washington state county's computer network.
Ferry County, Wash./Screenshot provided by Austin Jenkins/Northwest News NetworkAfter the 2016 election – and Russian hacking attempts targeted at local election offices – hundreds of local governments across the country made changes.
Among them, installing something called an Albert sensor. It's designed to warn of hacking attempts.
But in Washington State, this cybersecurity tool has become the subject of suspicion on the political right. It's part of a trend that one voting expert described as "using the language of election integrity to dismantle the infrastructure of election integrity."
The Northwest News Network's Austin Jenkins and NPR's Miles Parks explain what's happening.
In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Kai McNamee. It was edited by Brett Neely, Benjamin Swasey and Sami Yenigun. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.