nist voting program

NIST Voting Program

Barbara Guttman12/6/07

www.vote.nist.gov

NIST “Help America Vote Act” Responsibilities

Chair Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC)

Provide technical support to TGDC in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines including

Recommend independent labs to the EAC for accreditation

Voting Program Activities Update

TGDC Background Created by HAVA

15 members, different disciplines Chaired by NIST Director NIST performs research and technical

support Delivers recommendations to the

EAC

NIST/TGDC Committee Structure & Coordination

TGDC resolution (July ‘04) established 3 subcommittees:

Security and Transparency (STS) Human Factors and Privacy (HFP) Core Requirements and Testing (CRT)

Each subcommittee has NIST staff assigned to it


NIST & the TGDC

NIST performs research for the TGDC TGDC makes recommendations to

the EAC NIST does the technical writing of

the VVSG

NIST/TGDC Activities

July 2004: 1st plenary session of TGDC May 2005: Provided initial recommendations for voting system guidelines (VVSG 2005)

Sep 2007: Provided next set of recommendations for voting system guidelines (Next VVSG)


Why are there two versions of the VVSG?

HAVA required initial recommendations from the TGDC in 9 months

VVGS 2005 limited due to timeframe – incremental improvement to the 2002 VSS

There was a need to develop comprehensive, updated requirements for voting systems

Therefore, TGDC developed two versions: VVSG 2005 is an update of the VSS 2002 Next VVSG is a complete re-write


What is in the Next VVSG? Complete re-write of VVSG

2005 in all areas Usability and Accessibility Security Core Requirements


VVSG Major Re-Organization

Part 1: Equipment RequirementsPart 2: Documentation RequirementsPart 3: Testing

Requirements in Parts 1 and 2 reference general test methods in Part 3


Walk Through of Requirements

Human Factors & Privacy Usability, Accessibility, Other

Security & Transparency SI, Innovation Class, IVVR, Other

Core Requirements & Testing Reliability, COTS, Other


Software Independence Voting systems must be SI

Accuracy of the election must not rely exclusively on the accuracy of the voting system software

Accuracy of the system’s electronic records will be able to be independently audited against an independent voter-verified record (IVVR)

Systems that do this currently are paper-based e.g., optical scan, VVPAT


Innovation Class Next VVSG includes an Innovative Class

The VVSG will allow for developers to create new and innovative, possibly paperless, voting system approaches that would still be independently auditable and conform to the next VVSG

This may include newer, cryptographic-based systems that potentially promise greater usability and accessibility as well as security


Other Security

Radio-Frequency (RF) wireless is no longer permitted for use on voting systems

Requirements for test labs to conduct open-ended vulnerability testing on voting systems to search for vulnerabilities

Requirements to digitally sign electronic records for integrity and to identify each record by machine and election

Requirements for all software to be digitally signed and verified before being permitted to load or run on voting system

Other security areas: access control, auditing, event logging, and physical security


Reliability Benchmarks Voting system quality, reliability (MTBF),

and accuracy requirements updated To improve voting system design and testing

techniques To ensure that voting systems are robust and

work properly Replaced MTBF method with volume

testing (based on CA’s) Worked with NASED to develop number

and types of allowed failures


COTS COTS testing requirements re-written

To make clearer whether to exclude certain COTS products from in-depth source code reviews

Definition of unmodified COTS narrowed Modified COTS grouped into several

categories, each with its own testing requirements


Other Core Requirements

Conventions for software coding were examined E.g., requiring software languages that contain

improved integrity and security constructs To promote quality systems, requirements

for vendors to comply with ISO 9000/9001 Updated electrical, clarified requirements

for all voting activities


Discussion

nist voting program

Documents

voting systemstherefore

voting system guidelines

voting system softwareaccuracy

tgdc tgdc

innovative classthe

initial recommendations

set of recommendations

system approaches