Hackers could penetrate Panama election computers

A confidential report to which La Prensa has had access reveals a potentially dangerous situation for the next elections. Given the suspicions that the computer system of the Electoral Tribunal (TE) is vulnerable, penetration tests were carried out that cleared up the doubts: the obsolescence of these equipment could not prevent hackers from outside the institution – hired under the supervision of the TE’s technicians. TE – could virtually take control of the TE servers. The serious thing is that this exercise was a simulation of an election day, so they also discovered that not even the network in which the election results data travels is beyond the reach of a cyber attack. This is why it is urgent to reinforce security measures, which include the purchase of hardware and software , training the institution’s technicians and engineers, and hiring companies that have the capacity to monitor and prevent these attacks. The TE is the guarantor of clean elections, so it will have to do what is necessary to solve the serious problem that it now has in its hands, while the Government has the responsibility of making the necessary contributions to ensure citizen tranquility.—LA PRENSA, Feb. 5.