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​​🔺 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating whether a student at the University of Michigan attempted to hack the West Virginia’s voting app.

▪️ “Not one single vote was changed”
On Oct. 5, according to CNN, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, Mike Stuart, wrote that the FBI is investigating the “unsuccessful attempted intrusion” by an outside party to gain access to the Voatz app, a mobile app that was used to collect ballots from overseas and military voters in the 2018 election.

▪️ Stuart said that during the West Virginia’s 2018 election cycle his office was alerted by West Virginia’s Secretary of State, Mac Warner, who identified activity that may have been an attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Voatz voting app.

▪️ The blockchain-based application uses a multitude of security layers for identity verification, such as facial recognition, thumbprints and voter-verified ballot receipts. Warner said:

▪️ “Every safeguard designed for the system was very successful and worked as designed: to gain as much information as possible, and protect the sanctity of the voters’ identities and ballots. Although the details of the investigation cannot be disclosed, we can say that no votes were altered, impacted, viewed or in any way tampered with.”

▪️ Warner added that there is absolutely no evidence “that even a single vote was changed in the 2018 election,” adding:

▪️ “Because of our hard work and our investments, all of our systems worked according to plan, and more robust security measures and protocols are being deployed ahead of 2020.”

▪️ According to CNN, Warner’s office communicated to the FBI that the activity of the attempt came from IP addresses linked to the University of Michigan. The FBI is now looking into a person or persons who might have tried to hack the voting app as part of a course on election security.

​​🔺The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Community Development (MOCD) will host a competition for developing blockchain software in the social sector.

▪️Driving blockchain for awareness and social care
The MOCD announced its “Social Blockathon” competition with a total prize fund of $16,300 to encourage the development of blockchain-based applications for educational, social and recreational purposes, the country’s official news agency, Emirates News Agency, reported on Oct. 6.

▪️UAE embracing blockchain
The MOCD is seeking to improve the social development in the country by striving to meet objectives of the national development agenda, Emirates Vision 2021, which sets the key topics for the social and economic development of the UAE and calls for a shift to a diversified and knowledge-based economy. In November 2018, the ministry rolled out a proof-of-concept based on the ProximaX Sirius blockchain in a move to start implementing blockchain initiatives.