[kictanet] Poor show by IEBC: Data Protection in year 2017 and the case of raw voter registration data

Fri Jun 30 09:34:37 EAT 2017

I don't think information sharing affects the independence of the
institution. IEBC itself benefits from the register of persons &
immigration, managed under Ministry of Interior. Besides, these
institutions are public institutions and as such it would benefit the
taxpayer if they could provide their services under the same platform, just
as they do at Huduma Centre, such that ecitizen is the online huduma.
Further, and just as they manage their desks at the Huduma centre, they can
maintain control over the general management of their database while
allowing citizens to access their information from the online system. I
think NTSA started doing that on ecitizen for the Driving Licenses, but
then moved MV registration & other services to their TIMS platform.

But then again, who wants a verifiable register?

*Victor Kapiyo*
Partner | *Lawmark Partners LLP*
Advocate of the High Court of Kenya & Commissioner for Oaths
*Suite No. 8, Centro House, Westlands, Nairobi | **Web: www.lawmark.co.ke
<http://www.lawmark.co.ke> *
====================================================

*“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” Zig
Ziglar*

On 30 June 2017 at 07:59, Emmanuel Chebukati <echebukati at gmail.com> wrote:

> Good morning,
>
> ECitizen integration sounds like a great idea! IEBC could make use of the
> login credentials - via an API perhaps - and authenticate the user before
> allowing them to check their status.
>
> The challenge I foresee with this is the perception of lack of
> independence stemming from an Independent institution "sharing" I.T
> services with a government entity. In essence, while you and I know that
> the two databases can sit on separate servers: will the average Kenyan be
> convinced of this? *"Kenyan context".*
>
> Using the serial number - which is printed on both the passport and the
> National ID - as the "password" sounds like a better idea. It is unique,
> user friendly and addresses the concerns raised by Mwendwa on this thread.
> While possible to brute force - as it only contains numbers - any competent
> system should be able to ban that specific user after a number of tries.
> Question is: Does IEBC have access to this data in their database?
>
>
> Regards,
>
> EC
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 30, 2017 at 7:07 AM, Victor Kapiyo via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> I dunno how practical it is now, but I think this is one of the things
>> that would benefit from integration on the ecitizen platform.
>>
>> Plus, the implementation shows that in the absence of guidelines on how
>> citizens data is managed, then anything is possible. Besides, it wouldn't
>> be so hard to mine this data from iebc servers for whatever purpose.
>>
>> Victor
>>
>> On 30 Jun 2017 6:55 a.m., "Ali Hussein via kictanet" <
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> Do we have someone from IEBC on this list?
>>>
>>> This is a serious breach. In the dark web there are vendors of stolen
>>> identities. What IEBC has done is to basically leave the bank vaults open
>>> and invite every identity theft vendor in the world into this treasure
>>> trove..
>>>
>>> This whole verification exercise needs to be suspended until this rookie
>>> mistake is rectified.
>>>
>>> *Ali Hussein*
>>> *Principal*
>>> *Hussein & Associates*
>>> +254 0713 601113
>>>
>>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>>
>>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>>
>>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>>>
>>> "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but
>>> a habit."  ~ Aristotle
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On 30 Jun 2017, at 1:05 AM, Grace Githaiga via kictanet <
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>> @Chebukati
>>>
>>> I like the idea of a legitimate implementable solution. And I believe we
>>> have many of those here--on this list. So Listers, take up Chebukati's
>>> challenge and suggest what is pragmatic and would probably help the techies
>>> at IEBC  move this process forward with less glitches.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>>
>>>
>>> Githaiga, Grace
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Friday, 30-06-2017 at 01:29 Emmanuel Chebukati via kictanet wrote:
>>>
>>> Greetings,
>>>
>>> Thinking out loud here: what are the alternatives to an open system? In
>>> my view: Limiting requests per IP address would obviously lock out many
>>> users. Implementing cookies et al to limit to one query per day would also
>>> lock out several legitimate users (e.g. those who share PCs at cybers).
>>> Introducing a username/password combo made out of perhaps the birth-date
>>> would complicate matters for the average voter.
>>>
>>> I think the only legitimate options they have to prevent abuse/mass
>>> mining of this information is to implement a service like Cloudflare on the
>>> subdomain. This would at least stop a repetitive CURL request in its tracks
>>> or at least severely slow it down. Nevertheless, a quick IP ping shows that
>>> it appears as though the subdomain voterstatus.iebc.or.ke is running on
>>> Google Cloud servers which offer similar services as Cloudflare these days.
>>> I trust the good people at IEBC have explored these services.
>>>
>>> Let's brainstorm. Perhaps a legitimate, implementable solution may arise
>>> from this discussion that works for the "Kenyan context".
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> EC
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 11:55 PM, Ronald Ojino via kictanet <
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This is a very serious anomaly that must be addressed soonest possible.
>>>> It begs the question, are we safe as data subjects? If a body like IEBC
>>>> that is expected to be beyond reproach can have such open flaws...then we
>>>> say that we are ready to go for elections huh?its a disappointment.
>>>>
>>>> On 29-Jun-2017 11:47 PM, "Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet" <
>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Listers,
>>>>>
>>>>> Today I'm wearing my CISA hat.
>>>>>
>>>>> IEBC has launched a voter verification tool both through sms, and web
>>>>> query at http://voterstatus.iebc.or.ke/voter
>>>>>
>>>>> If you are privacy conscious, and a little bit paranoid, you will
>>>>> realize that IEBC is doing badly with how they are exposing  raw data of
>>>>> nearly 20 million Kenyans to the world. Anybody with basic programing
>>>>> skills can be able to harvest the raw data through an automated search. If
>>>>> you search any random number with the format of Kenya ID numbers, say
>>>>> hypothetically 12345678, you will realize you can pull up citizen's
>>>>> details, at least ID number, and name, and where they live.
>>>>>
>>>>> Basic security tips would require the system to have a captcha to
>>>>> prevent automated harvest of the information, and also have a challenge
>>>>> questions like date of birth to supplement the ID number, therefore thwart
>>>>> any mischievous individuals from harvesting the rich data
>>>>>
>>>>> Can IEBC correct the anomaly?
>>>>>
>>>>> Attached is a sample demo screenshot. Of course there is the other
>>>>> thing of strange ID numbers finding their way into the voter register.
>>>>>
>>>>> Voter Details for Id: 12345678
>>>>> Id / Passport Number 12345678
>>>>> Primary Name KIBET
>>>>> Secondary Name KIRUI
>>>>> Birth Date 01/01/1994
>>>>> Gender M
>>>>> Polling Station Code 101
>>>>> Polling Station LELACH PRIMARY SCHOOL
>>>>> County KERICHO
>>>>> Contituency BURETI
>>>>> Ward CHEPLANGET
>>>>>
>>>>> ______________________
>>>>> Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
>>>>> twitter.com/lordmwesh
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>>
>
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