File-Sharing Software on State Election Servers Could Expose Them to Intruders

The insecure service run by Wisconsin could be reached from internet addresses based in Russia, which has become notorious for seeking to influence U.S. elections. Kentucky’s was accessible from other Eastern European countries.

The service, known as FTP, provides public access to files — sometimes anonymously and without encryption.

Kentucky left its password-free service running and said ProPublica didn’t understand its approach to security.