Anonymity and Verifiability in Voting: Understanding (Un)Linkability

Lucie Langer; Hugo Jonker; Wolter Pieters

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-17650-0_21

Anonymity and Verifiability in Voting: Understanding (Un)Linkability

Lucie Langer, Hugo Jonker, Wolter Pieters

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Anonymity and verifiability are crucial security requirements for voting. Still, they seem to be contradictory, and confusion exists about their precise meanings and compatibility. In this paper, we resolve the confusion by showing that both can be expressed in terms of (un)linkability: while anonymity requires unlinkability of voter and vote, verifiability requires linkability of voters and election result. We first provide a conceptual model which captures anonymity as well as verifiability. Second, we express the semantics of (un)linkability in terms of (in)distinguishability. Third, we provide an adversary model that describes which capabilities the attacker has for establishing links. These components form a comprehensive model for describing and analyzing voting system security. In a case study we use our model to analyze the security of the voting scheme Prêt à Voter. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of anonymity and verifiability and their correlation in voting.

Original language	Undefined
Title of host publication	12th International Conference Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010
Editors	Miguel Soriano, Sihan Qing, Javier López
Place of Publication	Berlin
Publisher	Springer
Pages	296-310
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Print)	978-3-642-17649-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17650-0_21
Publication status	Published - 2010
Event	12th International Conference on Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010 - Barcelona, Spain Duration: 15 Dec 2010 → 17 Dec 2010 Conference number: 12

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer Verlag
Volume	6476
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	12th International Conference on Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010
Abbreviated title	ICICS
Country/Territory	Spain
City	Barcelona
Period	15/12/10 → 17/12/10

Keywords

IR-75062
METIS-276726
Anonymity
E-voting
EWI-19020
Unlinkability
verifiability
SCS-Cybersecurity
adversary model

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-642-17650-0_21

http://eprints.eemcs.utwente.nl/secure2/19020/01/linkability-fulltext.pdf

Cite this

@inproceedings{a5f999ebdc8f444e826dd97fa8515664,

title = "Anonymity and Verifiability in Voting: Understanding (Un)Linkability",

abstract = "Anonymity and verifiability are crucial security requirements for voting. Still, they seem to be contradictory, and confusion exists about their precise meanings and compatibility. In this paper, we resolve the confusion by showing that both can be expressed in terms of (un)linkability: while anonymity requires unlinkability of voter and vote, verifiability requires linkability of voters and election result. We first provide a conceptual model which captures anonymity as well as verifiability. Second, we express the semantics of (un)linkability in terms of (in)distinguishability. Third, we provide an adversary model that describes which capabilities the attacker has for establishing links. These components form a comprehensive model for describing and analyzing voting system security. In a case study we use our model to analyze the security of the voting scheme Pr{\^e}t {\`a} Voter. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of anonymity and verifiability and their correlation in voting.",

keywords = "IR-75062, METIS-276726, Anonymity, E-voting, EWI-19020, Unlinkability, verifiability, SCS-Cybersecurity, adversary model",

author = "Lucie Langer and Hugo Jonker and Wolter Pieters",

note = "10.1007/978-3-642-17650-0_21 ; 12th International Conference on Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010 ; Conference date: 15-12-2010 Through 17-12-2010",

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language = "Undefined",

isbn = "978-3-642-17649-4",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",

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Langer, L, Jonker, H & Pieters, W 2010, Anonymity and Verifiability in Voting: Understanding (Un)Linkability. in M Soriano, S Qing & J López (eds), 12th International Conference Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 6476, Springer, Berlin, pp. 296-310, 12th International Conference on Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010, Barcelona, Spain, 15/12/10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17650-0_21

Anonymity and Verifiability in Voting: Understanding (Un)Linkability. / Langer, Lucie; Jonker, Hugo; Pieters, Wolter.
12th International Conference Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2010. ed. / Miguel Soriano; Sihan Qing; Javier López. Berlin: Springer, 2010. p. 296-310 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 6476).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Langer, Lucie

AU - Jonker, Hugo

AU - Pieters, Wolter

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PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Anonymity and verifiability are crucial security requirements for voting. Still, they seem to be contradictory, and confusion exists about their precise meanings and compatibility. In this paper, we resolve the confusion by showing that both can be expressed in terms of (un)linkability: while anonymity requires unlinkability of voter and vote, verifiability requires linkability of voters and election result. We first provide a conceptual model which captures anonymity as well as verifiability. Second, we express the semantics of (un)linkability in terms of (in)distinguishability. Third, we provide an adversary model that describes which capabilities the attacker has for establishing links. These components form a comprehensive model for describing and analyzing voting system security. In a case study we use our model to analyze the security of the voting scheme Prêt à Voter. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of anonymity and verifiability and their correlation in voting.

AB - Anonymity and verifiability are crucial security requirements for voting. Still, they seem to be contradictory, and confusion exists about their precise meanings and compatibility. In this paper, we resolve the confusion by showing that both can be expressed in terms of (un)linkability: while anonymity requires unlinkability of voter and vote, verifiability requires linkability of voters and election result. We first provide a conceptual model which captures anonymity as well as verifiability. Second, we express the semantics of (un)linkability in terms of (in)distinguishability. Third, we provide an adversary model that describes which capabilities the attacker has for establishing links. These components form a comprehensive model for describing and analyzing voting system security. In a case study we use our model to analyze the security of the voting scheme Prêt à Voter. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of anonymity and verifiability and their correlation in voting.

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