king-zool/ARCHITECTURAL-VULNERABILITIES-OF-THE-BIMODAL-VOTER-ACCREDITATION-SYSTEM-BVAS-

A Mixed-Methods Cybersecurity Assessment and Proposed Security Architecture for Electoral Technology in Nigeria # ARCHITECTURAL-VULNERABILITIES-OF-THE-BIMODAL-VOTER-ACCREDITATION-SYSTEM-BVAS- A Mixed-Methods Cybersecurity Assessment and Proposed Security Architecture for Electoral Technology in Nigeria A Thesis By ZULQARNAIN HARUNA MUSA (ALFA) Submitted to the Department of Cybersecurity In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science (MSc) in Cybersecurity 2026 ABSTRACT The increasing adoption of digital technologies in electoral processes has introduced new mechanisms for voter authentication, biometric verification, data transmission and electoral administration. In Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as a technological mechanism for voter accreditation using fingerprint and facial recognition. Existing studies have examined BVAS primarily from perspectives including electoral credibility, operational challenges, voter authentication, data protection and public confidence. However, comparatively limited attention has been given to the architectural relationship between endpoint operating-system security and the cryptographic protection of BVAS data during transmission. This study investigates the extent to which potential operating-system-level compromise of a BVAS endpoint could undermine security assurances provided by encryption in transit. The study adopts a mixed-methods research design combining qualitative architectural and threat-model analysis with quantitative assessment of security perceptions and control effectiveness. The research conceptualises BVAS as a layered system comprising biometric input, application software, operating-system services, cryptographic functions, network communication and backend infrastructure. Particular attention is given to trust boundaries and the location at which data changes between plaintext and encrypted states. The study argues that transport encryption, although essential for protecting confidenti …