Kaspersky Lab: Polys Platform of electronic vote

Main articles:

• Blockchain
• Blockchain in Russia
• Cryptography
• Electronic elections (remote vote)

Polys is the platform of electronic vote in which the transparency and safety of process are provided due to use of technologies of a blockchain and enciphering.

2020: Replacement of the platform by Exonum

"Kaspersky Lab" translated the system of safe remote votes Polys on blockchain- the platform Exonum that will allow to accelerate processing of transactions, to use technology for carrying out large-scale votes and to expand possibilities of customization of a system under needs of users. On October 6, 2020 the company reported about it Bitfury Group. Thanks to implementation of this framework it will become possible to implement more advanced tools of end-to-end analytics and to build in more reliable mechanisms of anonymous enciphering.

Decentralization and the invariance of data do to blockchain technology by the good solution for carrying out online votes, guaranteeing impossibility of change of voices and the entrusted automatic calculation of results. However, the speed of transactions in many a blockchain frameworks is limited that can be an obstacle for carrying out large-scale projects.

To avoid similar problems, the decision on migration of the Polys system with private a blockchain network, based on the Ethereum protocol, on a framework open source and own algorithm of consensus Exonum from Bitfury was made. The private blockchain on Exonum much quicker than public is also capable to process to 5,000 transactions per second.

More and more companies select our platform as a basis of the products. We are glad to note this trend and we continue productive work on improvement of proposed solutions, actively supporting our clients. The more significant and difficult products it will be implemented on Exonum, the technology will be more perfect — the operating officer of Bitfury Russia, Ivan Maslov explained.

Performance improvement allows to implement in Polys safer method of enciphering — a cryptosystem on the basis of elliptic curves. By default the encryption key is stored at the organizer of vote, but Polys can divide it between several subjects using one of mechanisms: separations of a key or the distributed generation of a key. Besides, the updated architecture allows to develop and implement quickly the encryption systems necessary for the client, for example, to provide compliance to requirements of the national legislation.

In addition, in the Polys system the feature for anonymization voting using technology of the blind signature is added. It allows to receive confirmation that the choice was made by the person authorized for participation in vote (having active suffrage), but at the same time not to tie the bulletin to personal data and not to open the made choice. Technology of the blind signature — safer method of anonymization as it relies upon mathematical algorithms, but not upon responsibility of any third party.

Exonum gives an opportunity to create cryptographic proofs that bulletins are really written in a blockchain. This function is used for ensuring the principle of checkability when voting and only voting has an opportunity to check as its voice is considered at all stages of vote, and ensuring impossibility of falsifications in the course of vote.

The Polys system was improved not only in terms of cyber security: now it can quicker be configured depending on specific customer requirements. The framework of Exonum is customized and allows to enter updates to logic of smart contracts therefore Polys developers can add quickly on demand other functions easily.

With the specified framework and modular approach the Polys technology can be used for carrying out different scenarios of vote, completely protecting this process. System architecture allows us to implement quickly different cryptographic methods upon the demand of clients, to integrate authentication mechanisms and to enter additional formats of bulletins, for example, in case of holding a referendum for decision making on several questions — Alexander Sazonov, the Polys project manager comments.

2017: Release

Kaspersky Lab in November, 2017 announced release of the innovation platform of electronic vote which received the name Polys. The solution allows everyone to organize the protected anonymous vote in any scales. At the same time the thought-over processing system and counting of votes excludes a possibility of their substitution, and in case of any violations in process information on it will become known to all to participants of vote. The platform is intended, first of all, for use in non-profit organizations, educational institutions, city communities and geographically distributed companies, it is important to them to involve people in the solution of key questions.

Polys are the cornerstone smart contracts of the Ethereum platform which allows to create the decentralized online services based on a blockchain. This technology provides the distributed processing of voices and gives to each user the chance to check whether his voice was considered correctly. Besides, all data relating to vote (including final results), are stored not on servers, and in information blocks on devices of all participants of process — so, malefactors will not be able to get access to them, for this purpose they should crack all chain.

As an additional measure of protection the blockchain which is used in Polys is ciphered using mathematical algorithms. It provides anonymity of vote and also allows to hide intermediate results — final distribution of voices becomes known to participants after all calculations are complete.

The source code Polys is available to the general public — it is uploaded to the website GitHub. Thus, a blockchain enthusiasts, software testers, activists of electronic vote and all interested users will be able independently to study and check the technologies which are the cornerstone of the Polys platform.

The Polys project arose in business incubator of Kaspersky Lab — the special division working with startups and the innovation ideas as inside, and out of the company. Our command studied possibilities of application of a blockchain long ago in new products for which are important transparency, reliability and integrity. We consider that it is really disruptive technology which potential is not exhausted. It already proved in cryptocurrencies, the turn of electronic voting systems to which, we are sure came now, modern digital society steadily will come — Vartan Minasyan, the head on investments and innovations of Kaspersky Lab commented on release of the solution.

According to information Kaspersky Lab, on the website polys.me anyone can organize electronic vote absolutely free of charge, having selected one of three methods of authorization of participants: using e-mail, unique codes or special the link/QR-code. In the first case a system will send the protected link for vote to all participants to the specified e-mail addresses; in the second case of Polys will generate unique codes using which it is possible to vote on any device, including on public computers; in the third case vote will have open character — everyone who will see the link or the QR code, will be able to take part.

Also the Polys platform can be adapted to requirements of the specific organization or community. Specialists of Kaspersky Lab will help to set individual preferences of authorization of users, to develop design of the interface and to execute integration of the platform with other services.

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The source code Polys is uploaded to the website GitHub. Besides, on the website polys.me anyone can try to organize electronic vote using the platform.->