Little room for EVM manipulation, aver experts

‘Their architecture prevents any attempt to break into them without being detected’

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) with people’s mandate locked inside will remain sealed in strongrooms for almost a month till the votes are counted on May 2. With EVMs not always beyond reproach at least among a section of the electorate who have consistently raised doubts about their sanctity, is there scope for any kind of external manipulation exploiting the long gap between voting and counting? Experts The Hindu spoke to largely ruled out such a possibility. “EVMs are a closed hardware system with little room for external interference remotely or through wireless technology. It can be manipulated only through physical access though even in that case, it cannot be broken into without being detected thanks to its architecture. Yes, a skilled electronic engineer may still manage to manipulate it, but it needs a lot of favourable factors to coincide making it an extreme possibility,” said Rahul Sasi, an international cyber security expert.