A Look into the film ‘Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections’.

A few days before the American Presidential Election, I watched the HBO documentary ‘Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections’ on Sky Arts TV. It offers a chilling deep dive into the vulnerability of American democracy in the digital age. Directed by Simon Ardizzone, Russell Michaels, and Sarah Teale, and led by cybersecurity expert Harri Hursti, this film reveals the fragility of U.S. election systems and makes a case for urgent reform to secure elections from cyber threats.

The film focuses on election security flaws in digital voting infrastructure across the United States, bringing the reality of these risks to the fore. Through interviews with cybersecurity experts, government officials, and former hackers, the documentary lays out a compelling argument: America’s electoral system is alarmingly vulnerable, and without intervention, foreign or domestic actors could manipulate election outcomes with relative ease.

At the centre of Kill Chain is Finnish cybersecurity expert Harri Hursti, who has dedicated his career to exposing flaws in electronic voting systems. Hursti is well-known in cybersecurity circles for what’s often referred to as the “Hursti Hack.” In 2005, he demonstrated just how easily an electronic voting machine could be manipulated. This early revelation served as a warning that many election officials ignored. Now, with the stakes higher than ever, Hursti’s investigations are more relevant as he tries to prove that not much has changed since his early discoveries.

Hursti’s passion for protecting democratic processes shines as he demonstrates the weaknesses in voting technology. Throughout the documentary, Hursti travels across the U.S., examining voting machines, meeting with local election officials, and discussing election interference with cybersecurity experts. His on-screen presence provides a knowledgeable and compelling voice, guiding viewers through the complex world of cyber threats and election integrity.

One of the most significant cyber threats covered in Kill Chain is the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Through interviews with experts like J. Alex Halderman, a professor of computer science at the University of Michigan, and former Homeland Security advisor Lisa Monaco, the documentary sheds light on just how close America came to a disaster.

Hackers targeted voter registration systems in at least 21 states, and while no official vote counts were altered, access to voter data raised concerns about possible future manipulations.

The documentary highlights the simplicity with which these attacks could be escalated. Once attackers gain access to a system, they can delete or alter voter information, potentially preventing voters from casting their ballots. The vulnerability of election databases leaves a vast portion of the system open to manipulation—if attackers change addresses, voters could be redirected to the wrong polling stations, leading to chaos on election day.

The film’s most alarming revelations come from its examination of voting machines. Interviews with former hackers like Jake Braun, who has participated in the annual DEF CON Voting Village, reveal how alarmingly easy it is to break into some of these machines. In a particularly unsettling scene, Hursti shows how he can hack a machine in minutes using only a simple memory card and some basic tools.

At DEF CON, a yearly cybersecurity conference, Braun and other hackers work to expose vulnerabilities in widely used voting machines. The documentary shares footage of hackers, many of them young students, dismantling these machines with shocking ease. The vulnerabilities range from outdated software to accessible ports that allow attackers to alter vote counts. DEF CON serves as a wake-up call, demonstrating just how susceptible these machines are to tampering.

Former U.S. government officials, such as former CIA Director James Woolsey and former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, appear in Kill Chain, advocating for increased transparency and security in the electoral process. Woolsey emphasizes that foreign interference in elections is not a new phenomenon, but the methods have evolved. The digital age has introduced new vulnerabilities, which make election hacking possible on a much larger scale.

Election integrity advocates, such as election security advocate Jennifer Cohn, call for a return to paper ballots to ensure a verifiable voting process. This approach would allow officials to conduct audits, something not easily achievable with fully electronic systems. The documentary’s message is clear: until the United States invests in a more secure, transparent election system, democracy itself is at risk.

Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections is not just a documentary; it’s a wake-up call. The film warns that without a shift toward greater transparency and accountability, the electoral system remains open to interference. Hursti’s journey across America serves as a reminder that democracy relies on trust, and if that trust is eroded by doubts in election security, the very foundation of democratic society is at stake.

Ultimately, the documentary concludes that the solution lies in simplicity. Experts like Halderman and Cohn advocate for returning to paper ballots and routine audits. This way, voters can have faith in the system, knowing there’s a verifiable record of their votes.

I was astounded, when Hursti purchased 3 voting machines from a tech dealer who was selling used equipment on eBay. Firstly these machines were meant to be kept secure, secondly these machines were being sold over the internet to anyone, anywhere in the world, but more importantly was the fact that the election data from the previous election was still on the machines and accessible. GDPR is obviously out the door. As a minimum the machines should have been wiped and preferably the drives destroyed. Something I became only to aware of at the recent ADISA Conference in London a few weeks ago.

The message of Kill Chain is urgent and essential: as technology evolves, so must our safeguards. If Americans or indeed other countries want to protect their elections, they must demand an election system that values security and transparency above convenience. The film leaves viewers with a final call to action—to protect the integrity of democracy before it’s too late.

NOTE: This article can be reproduced in its entirety or quoted, provided it is attributed to the author John Ellis FIAP Cmpn, FRSA, MBCS. This article may also be found on the authors website johnceellis.me.uk and his company website www.wellis-technology.co.uk.