u.s. agency charge ensure vote machine meet security standards penetrate hacker november elections accord security firm work law enforcement matter security firm record future monitor underground electronic market hackers buy sell war discover someone offer log-on credentials access computers u.s. election assistance commission company executives say pose potential buyer researchers engage conversation hacker say levi gundert vice president intelligence company andrei barysevich director advance collection eventually discover russian-speaking hacker obtain credentials 100 people election commission exploit common database vulnerability researchers say hacker try sell information vulnerability middle eastern government several thousand dollars researchers alert law enforcement say thursday hole patch election assistance commission say statement late thursday become aware potential intrusion work federal law enforcement agencies investigate potential breach effect fbi currently conduct ongoing criminal investigation statement add election commission certify vote systems develop standards technical guidelines best practice election officials across country researchers say hacker unusual business model scan ways break manner businesses entities move rapidly sell access rather steal data think actually work government super sophisticate barysevich say case election commission hacker use methods include sql injection well know preventable flaw obtain list user name obfuscate passwords able crack though much commission work public hacker gain access non-public report flaw vote machine theory someone could use knowledge flaw attack specific machine say matt blaze electronic vote expert professor university pennsylvania researchers confident hacker move sell access soon get mean inside system election day u.s. vote process decentralize report widespread fraud november election assistance commission create help america vote act 2002 lead presidential appointees u.s. election agency breach hackers november vote