Security

Amazon Web Services Branching Into Election Services – Morning Brew


Over the past few years, Amazon’s been doing the tech giant equivalent of getting your side hustle going on Amazon. But instead of hawking sustainable socks, it’s selling internet services. 

When I say side business, I mean major moneymaker: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s cloud computing division, raked in $25.7 billion in sales last year.

Last week, Reuters published an in-depth investigation into AWS and its new role undergirding U.S. elections. 

Turns out AWS has been pretty busy

Those clouds don’t compute themselves. And at least 40 states, both the DNC and RNC, former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign, and the FEC all reportedly use AWS for one function or another. 

  • That includes everything from voter databases to email marketing to election-night results. 

It’s a no-brainer for state and local election administrators: They don’t always have the resources to keep their systems up to date and running smoothly. AWS is affordable, user-friendly, and (relatively) secure. 

Zoom out: As I mentioned last week, everyone’s antsy about election security. The cyberattacks on voting systems in 2016 are still top of mind, so the protection AWS can provide makes it attractive.

But…“Elections By Amazon” doesn’t play great 

For one thing, security experts told Reuters that, although AWS is more secure than most cloud networks, it’s still just one system. That means if there’s even one breach, all the information it contains could be compromised. 

  • In August, a hacker and former Amazon employee cracked into Capital One’s AWS-run cloud, exposing almost 106 million customers and applicants’ personal data. Some security analysts worry another inside operation could compromise AWS-run electoral systems. 

For another, Amazon’s facing criticism from politicians over its labor practices and its dominance in e-commerce. So it seems like an odd time for the company to venture into politics. 

One thing AWS hasn’t ventured into? 

Voting. Most states’ voting machines are not connected to a cloud service, and none use Amazon’s. Still, AWS is firmly entrenched in quite a few voting-adjacent processes. 

Bottom line: AWS’s role in elections highlights both a) the convenience and quality Big Tech can offer despite all the criticism and b) a trend toward private-public partnerships. 





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