Infosecurity

Obama campaign guru: hackers to drive web evolution

By Robin Hicks | 10 June 2009

Scott Goodstein, the architect of United States President Barack Obama’s online election campaign, told delegates at a conference today (Wednesday 10 June 2009) that hackers will drive the evolution of new media and the internet.

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Goodstein, who was talking at communications technology conference ad:tech in Singapore, said that hackers and malicious software posed a constant threat to last year’s Obama election campaign, but Obama’s database security team were able to keep impact to a minimum.

“Hackers were a constant worry. As was database security,” said Goodstein. “But in the end it wasn’t a major issue because of the necessary checks we had in place.”

The only information security breach during the election campaign was a fake text message that was sent out in Barack Obama’s name.

“There will always be tricksters and jokers who will try and disrupt or exploit new media activity,” said Goodstein. “But, ironically, these are the very people that will help drive new media and the internet. The more disruptive these people become, the more sophisticated security has to be.”