Thread by @WIRED

The Kremlin has meddled in so many elections around the world that by now, the immune system of global democracy has a few defenses lined up.

Here are some lessons that other countries can teach us in the age of Russian mayhem: 1/ wired.trib.al/MobKWA5

When in doubt, go analog:

In 2017, Dutch TV broadcaster RTL investigated the Netherlands' software system for counting ballots and found it full of security flaws. The country decided to count all votes manually—a slower but far more secure option. 2/ wired.trib.al/MobKWA5

Get physical authentication:

Estonia has kept the Kremlin from corrupting its digital democracy in part by giving every citizen a smart ID card that physically authenticates their identity for banking, paying taxes, and voting. 3/ wired.trib.al/MobKWA5

Online elections remain science fiction in the US. But by giving YubiKeys to high-risk people involved with elections—the same sort of physical token that proves their identity—we could make those targets significantly more secure. 4/ wired.trib.al/MobKWA5

Muddy the waters:

In 2017, Russian spies hacked French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, leaking emails just days before the election. The campaign stated there were fabricated documents among the real ones. Not knowing what to believe, media didn't take the bait. 5/

Misinformation, sowing doubt, and voter suppression are just a few tools bad actors use to interfere with elections. In the U.S., thanks to huge efforts from election officials, voter fraud won't be one of those problems. 6/ wired.trib.al/oljfwZ3

For more on cybersecurity, science, and the technology underpinning our future, subscribe to WIRED. subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/spli…