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Database Hacks Could Threaten November Election

CHICAGO (CBS) -- After the Illinois State voter database was hacked, a mistake of not being encrypted at minimum an expert says, CBS 2 is learning more about just how susceptible the U.S. is for an election hack.

"We get attacked literally 4 to 5 times more than any other country," a lot of it happening in Washington, D.C., says Darren Guccione, CEO  and co-founder of Keeper Security. He tells CBS 2's Brad Edwards, "Most of it's from China, the Ukraine."

He says, the hack of the llinois voter database that started in June, at servers in a Springfield complex, exposing as may as  90,000 voters.

It may have started as simple as, "You receive and email... it looks innocent ... you're an employee ... you click on it…" Guccione says.

You enter your information, and on the back end of the website it's completely malicious.

"The department came into existence about 2 months ago on July 1," said Hardk Buhatt, the man in charge of the state's new Department of Innovation and Technology. 

"Employee education will be a part of that," Buhatt says. "Teaching employees what not to open, what not to click. ...For me security is as secure as your weakest link and we're trying to fortify from all directions."

Guccione says the voter database hack "it's a problem, it doesn't really matter how strong or weak a hacker was ... the fact is they got the information... and that's the issue... they shouldn't get that information."

And as we approach November elections, there will be a greater attack volume and frequency.

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