[Tfug] Call for a volunteer or two...

[jblais]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tfug-bounces at tfug.org [mailto:tfug-bounces at tfug.org]On Behalf Of
> Jim March
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 7:19 PM
> To: Tucson Free Unix Group
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] Call for a volunteer or two...
>
>
> On that last, in this case, this is a Diebold system.  The city has
> it's own central tabulator station...basically a server-grade Dell
> running Win2k and the Diebold software (really an MS-Access front
> end).  Key thing that must NOT be anywhere around: MS-Access.  It's
> usable as a "hack tool" to directly modify the database of votes
> without needing a password and without leaving an audit trail.  Very
> bad mojo.  Extra network connections running off to a back room
> running MS-Access are bad news as well.
>
>
> One important note: support for the worst voting systems possible is
> coming in HARD from Microsoft lobbyists and megabucks.  They don't
> want voting systems shifted over to open-source for max transparency,
> because people would (rightfully) take it as a slam on Windows
> security and the whole closed-source world.  So getting involved in
> election integrity is a way to directly attack MS on a new front :).
>

Hello -

Don't just worry about having Access around.  Look for the MS Jets engine
(and probably a slew more available) for C++, VB, anything that Visual
Studio will compile.  I use if for some of our machines, It provides all the
'access' to the db file that Access can give you, without ever installing
Access.  Access is just the GUI, probably going through the same DLLs that
Diebold, or any other application would.  Look for apps or services using
anything like OLEACC.DLL.  You could rename it and then see if any apps
barf.  I don't know the winders equivalent of ldd.

Joe