Experts analyze growing concern over cybersecurity in 2016 election

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cybersecurity experts from all over the country are at UNC Charlotte Wednesday, discussing cybersecurity as it relates to 2016 election.

Dr. Bill Chu, who has hosted a symposium about cybersecurity for the last 17 years, has gathered experts from all over the country to talk about hacking.

Chu said it is easy to hack into a voting machine.

ABC News recently reported that Russian hackers targeted registered voter information in nearly half the states.

Channel 9 asked the Board of Elections how it is safeguarding votes.

“Can you guarantee our votes are secure? Sure, we can easily guarantee your votes are secure,” Michael Dickerson, director of elections for Mecklenburg County.

Dickerson is confident because the machines aren't online; they're under lock and key and kept under guard.

“I don't always understand when they say, ‘Oh we can change the results. It's pretty tough,’” Dickerson said.

Chu agrees that changing the results is more difficult.

He said preventative measures like paper copies and audit trails make massive fraud extremely difficult.

When hackers target registration documents, experts say it’s not about swaying an election, it’s about getting your information.

Hackers are looking for Social Security, dates of birth and names.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 14 at UNC Charlotte.

Cox Media Group