Security technician hacks a voting machine to reveal its vulnerabilities

The cost of maintaining aging voting systems

A joint analysis from the Brennan Center and Verified Voting finds that replacing aging voting equipment will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The firms running America's voting systems

Three companies make up over 90% of the US market share around voting systems, and like any company, they're priorities aren't always aligned with the public's. Dive into the industry of voting machines in this investigation piece from the Guardian.

Voting in the US has shifted from days-long journeys to modern, secure ballots

In the early 1800s, voting was limited and arduous, often requiring long travel and in-person balloting. This illustrated resource traces how voting technology evolved to expand access, speed elections, and improve security over time.

Watch a cybersecurity expert answers questions about hacking

From firewalls and VPNs to ransomware and viruses, IBM Distinguished Engineer Jeff Crume has seen many changes in cybersecurity during his 40 years of IT experience. In this video, he explores some of the most significant hacking events in history and provides advice on protecting yourself online.

Watch how the Enigma machine encrypts messages and learn about its critical design flaw

Using settings selected from a series of rotors and a plugboard that let operators swap letters with any of their choosing, the machine lit up the output letter for each letter typed. While this system could generate messages requiring any of 150 quintillion potential keys, the machine's reflector never encrypted a letter as itself, providing an entry point for exploiting the system.

Smart cities without strong cybersecurity can leave utilities extremely vulnerable

Insecure devices connected to the Internet of Things pose risks to the entire network, which cybercriminals can hijack to compromise infrastructure and private resident data. Poorly secured systems that become inoperable can undermine the promise of smart cities by worsening the quality of life.

Watch an ethical hacker provide a tour of the dark web

Cybersecurity researcher John Hammond explores the effectiveness of a dark web search engine, leaks from ransomware group data breaches, and a categorized index of dark web links, including some that are alleged to host malware. Many dark web sites are no longer active or host scams to fool unsuspecting visitors.

Burglars accessed the DNC once before their failed June 17 attempt

Long before the notorious June 17 intrusion, the burglars successfully accessed and planted listening devices in the DNC offices on May 28—showing how deeply premeditated the operation was and how the scandal's roots stretched back well before the arrests.

Explore the components of autonomous vehicles controls

A suite of cutting-edge hardware and computation-intensive software creates the potential for self-driving cars to be safer, more fuel-efficient, and more accessible to a broader range of drivers. However, automation also introduces potential cybersecurity threats.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

Hacking the body for a future that didn't happen

Journalist Adi Robertson experimented with one of the most accessible biohacks: magnets. Having a tiny magnet in their right ring finger meant they could sense magnetic fields, attract small metal objects, and more. But magnets weaken over time, eroding this new sense. Such implants do more than offer a new way of interacting with the world, they also pose new complications, such as the inability to get an MRI.

Listen to a podcast episode that goes inside the 2017 Equifax credit bureau hack

This podcast episode details a 2017 credit bureau hack in which Equifax data about millions of Americans was compromised. It dives into the history of credit bureaus, specifically how they became legally allowed to access Americans' financial information without Americans actually volunteering it themselves.

Read an oral history of the Y2K panic

This oral history brings together programmers, engineers, and officials who first identified the date flaw and then spent years alerting the public to the danger and racing to repair millions of lines of code.

Creating malware requires more than knowledge of programming languages

Because computer viruses, worms, and other malicious software reside within a computer's operating system, which manages computer hardware and software, cybercriminals writing effective malicious code must understand how the OS manages input and output, permissions, memory, etc. Knowledge of credentials and network access also helps create malware that easily spreads.

The mathematics of quantum-based cryptography, and why existing data is already at risk

Seeing the potential of this technology, some governments and malicious actors are thought to have already started storing encrypted data, in the hopes that quantum computers within the next 10 to 20 years will be able to decrypt it. As of 2022, the National Institute of Standards and Technology had selected four algorithms for inclusion in a quantum-resistant encryption standard.

Indirect prompt injection is a major security flaw of generative AI systems

These attacks can manipulate AI behavior by hiding instructions in websites and PDFs that become part of training data. The more companies connect sites, services, and sensitive datasets to AI tools, the greater the chances of exposure to malicious code.

Watch the engineering challenges overcome in turning a 3D printer into a tattoo machine

The DIY project required reprogramming the printer to operate on a curved, 2D surface rather than making flat layers in 3D, editing replacement firmware to bypass temperature safety checks, and developing a rapid system to stop the tattoo in case of an emergency. The final product printed "LEG" on a volunteer's leg.

The story of Susy Thunder, the female hacker who disappeared

Here's the story of Susan Thunder, a woman who entered the hacker underground scene in the late 1970s and one day disappeared completely. She had a troubled past, facing abuse and hardship, and found solace in manipulating phone systems and later computer systems. She became involved with prominent hackers and her ability to control systems mirrored her quest for personal control. Her story highlights the role of social engineering in hacking.

Test your gerrymandering skills with this interactive game

This simulation demonstrates how packing and cracking alter election outcomes. See how shifting district lines can change representation—regardless of the overall makeup of the electorate.

Listen to a deepfake robocall of President Joe Biden

Bad actors are not solely using deepfake technology to manipulate images. They can also manipulate audio for political purposes. In this example, eligible voters are asked to skip the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic primary.

Hackers once used 'Fortnite' to clean money from stolen credit cards

Hackers using stolen credit cards would create "Fortnite" accounts and purchase V-bucks, the in-game currency. The hackers would then sell the entire "Fortnite" account on sites like eBay. For instance, an account with $100 worth of stolen V-bucks might sell $25 on eBay.

Microchips in payment cards improve security by generating unique transaction codes

Magnetic strips store unchanging data that is easily cloned, but microchips act as miniature computers that encrypt sensitive data. They also resist fraud by creating data unique to each transaction, preventing duplication.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

Some employers are using new technology to surveil remote workers

'Bossware' tools help employers make sure their remote workers aren't slacking off on the job, using surveillance technology to monitor employee computer activity and more.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

Tour Brother Zhang's repair shop to see how graphics processing units are fixed

The workshop repairs 40 to 50 GPUs from across China daily, extending the life of the costly computer parts that are the lifeblood of the hardware powering AI tools. By salvaging working components of different GPUs, custom parts can be built atop printed circuit boards, including custom GPUs that manufacturers do not currently produce.

Elk Cloner, the first computer virus to spread in public, was written as a practical joke by Richard Skrenta, a Pittsburgh high school student.

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

Radioactive elements can introduce software errors because the ionizing radiation they produce can detach electrons from atoms, and computer code relies on the distribution of electrons.

Watch how algorithms can be designed to train themselves and self-improve without human input, to the point where the optimized code is too complex for programmers to understand.

The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is not a pristine document, and even features a smudged anonymous handprint in the bottom left corner.

The history of many kitchen appliances involves unexpected discoveries and applications, including wartime radar turned hamster defroster and replacing an 'ice king' with heat-stealing boxes.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

Explore what it's like inside a patient isolation unit, used in situations such as treating a patient or suspected patient with Ebola.

US intelligence allegedly pursued more than 600 schemes to assassinate Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro.

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

Watch how deep-sea mining equipment collects and processes polymetallic nodules—metal-rich, potato-shaped rocks—from the ocean floor and creates environmentally damaging plumes of sediments.

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

Massive 3D printers have been used to build homes by stacking layers of 'concrete toothpaste,' a fire-resistant material that effectively insulates against outside noise.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

The first image of a black hole was captured by creating an Earth-sized virtual observatory from a network of eight radio telescopes.