ICYMI: we're bringing our SSITH hardware defenses to the 2019 & 2020 @defcon Voting Villages! SSITH aims to demo that correctly constructed electronics can be a substantive part of a system’s security by limiting the impact of errors made within the software stack. pic.twitter.com/JUAANXrMIg

The SSITH systems under development use different types of restrictions within the hardware itself to ensure that data flow & integrity are maintained even when a potential compromise or error happens in the software layer.

Matching right electronics, software & policy allows us to trust results of any foundational transaction, including voting. In an effort led by SSITH performer @galois, DARPA is bringing SSITH hardware defenses to DEF CON so they can be hacked & evaluated by security community.

By displaying SSITH’s capabilities in a public forum such as DEF CON, and again during a university roadshow, DARPA seeks to engage the broader technical community focused on securing election systems.

This investment alone won't solve all issues w/ election security, but it will demo what's possible & provide community w/ best practices. In addition, the evaluation could provide a template for using electronics design as part of the security solution for any critical system.

If we cannot faithfully represent a single multiple choice question, such as those presented on a ballot in a voting booth, then the process of making much more complicated military systems secure is immensely more difficult.