Incident: Government Gateway Website Hack Exposes Millions to ID Fraud

Published Date: 2015-11-08

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving hackers obtaining login details for a key government website used by millions of people and rogue software harvesting personal details from the Government Gateway website was reported in the article published on 2015-11-08 [53522]. 2. The incident was reported as having emerged "last night" in the article. 3. Estimation: The article was published on 2015-11-08, and if the incident emerged "last night," we can estimate that the software failure incident happened around November 7, 2015.
System 1. Government Gateway website 2. Computer systems holding confidential documents of parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah
Responsible Organization 1. Hackers [53522] 2. Rogue software [53522]
Impacted Organization 1. Millions of people registered to the Government Gateway website, potentially impacting their personal details and sensitive information [53522]. 2. MPs, lords, and their workers who use the parliamentary network, including MP Chi Onwurah, whose confidential documents were compromised [53522].
Software Causes 1. Rogue software placed on people's home computers harvesting personal details from the Government Gateway website [53522] 2. Hackers obtaining login details for a key government website [53522]
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of adequate protection against cyber-attacks targeting government websites and systems [53522] 2. Potential targeting of government systems by foreign intelligence agencies [53522]
Impacts 1. Personal details of millions of people registered on the Government Gateway website may have been harvested by hackers, potentially leading to identity theft and fraud [53522]. 2. Sensitive personal information such as child maintenance payments, state pensions, and childminder register details could have been compromised, posing a significant risk to individuals [53522]. 3. The breach raised concerns about the security of confidential parliamentary documents, with reports of foreign intelligence agencies targeting MPs' computers, highlighting the vulnerability of government systems to cyber-attacks [53522].
Preventions 1. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as multi-factor authentication and encryption to protect login details and personal information on the Government Gateway website [53522]. 2. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to detect and address any potential weaknesses in the system that could be exploited by hackers [53522]. 3. Providing comprehensive cybersecurity training to all users of the Government Gateway website to raise awareness about potential threats like malware and phishing attacks [53522]. 4. Promptly addressing any reported security incidents and conducting thorough investigations to determine the extent of the breach and take necessary corrective actions [53522].
Fixes 1. Implementing stronger cybersecurity measures such as multi-factor authentication and encryption to protect login details and personal information on the Government Gateway website [53522]. 2. Conducting a thorough investigation to determine the extent of the breach and identify affected individuals in order to take appropriate corrective actions [53522]. 3. Providing clear communication to all users of the service about the breach and advising them on changing their passwords to enhance security [53522]. 4. Enhancing the overall security infrastructure of the parliamentary network to prevent future cyber-attacks and protect confidential documents of parliamentary work [53522].
References 1. Cyber-security experts 2. Cabinet Office spokesman 3. Labour's Shadow Digital Minister Louise Haigh 4. MP Chi Onwurah 5. The Times

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - The article mentions that computer systems holding confidential documents of parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah were hacked, indicating a software failure incident within the parliamentary network [53522]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - There is no specific mention in the articles about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article as hackers were able to place rogue software on people's home computers, which then harvested personal details from the Government Gateway website. This indicates a vulnerability in the design or development of the system that allowed for unauthorized access and data harvesting [53522]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted in the article when it mentions that computer systems holding confidential documents of parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah were hacked. This indicates a failure in the operation or use of the system, potentially due to inadequate security measures or vulnerabilities during system operation [53522].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within_system. The incident involved hackers potentially obtaining login details for a key government website and rogue software being placed on people's home computers to harvest personal details from the Government Gateway website [53522]. Additionally, the attack on computer systems holding confidential parliamentary documents was also within the system, as it targeted the parliamentary network serving MPs, lords, and their workers [53522].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - Rogue software secretly placed on people's home computers could harvest personal details from the Government Gateway website, indicating a failure introduced by non-human actions [53522]. - Computer systems holding confidential documents of parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah were hacked, suggesting a breach due to non-human actions [53522].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article mentions that rogue software secretly placed on people's home computers could harvest personal details from the Government Gateway website, indicating a potential hardware-related issue where unauthorized software was able to access sensitive information [53522]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The incident involved hackers potentially obtaining login details for a key government website, indicating a software-related failure in terms of security vulnerabilities that allowed unauthorized access to user information [53522].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. Hackers were able to obtain login details for a key government website used by millions of people, potentially harvesting personal details from the Government Gateway website. This rogue software placed on people's home computers could lead to ID fraud and the misuse of sensitive personal information [53522]. Additionally, computer systems holding confidential parliamentary documents were hacked, with reports suggesting foreign intelligence agencies may have targeted MPs' computers [53522]. These incidents indicate a malicious intent to harm the systems and compromise sensitive information.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the hack on the key government website and the hacking of computer systems holding confidential parliamentary documents by foreign intelligence agencies can be attributed to poor decisions in terms of cybersecurity measures and protection. The incident highlights the potential consequences of inadequate security measures and the need for stronger defenses to safeguard sensitive information [53522]. (b) The software failure incident can also be linked to accidental decisions or oversights in terms of cybersecurity practices and protocols. The lack of clarity on the extent of the breach, uncertainty about which individuals were affected, and the absence of a commitment to rectify the situation indicate a level of inadvertent negligence in handling the security of the systems and data [53522].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, unknown (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as it mentions the hack on a key government website, the Government Gateway, which allowed hackers to potentially obtain login details for millions of users. This breach highlights a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the website and protecting sensitive personal information [53522]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the articles provided.
Duration permanent (a) The software failure incident described in the articles seems to be more of a permanent nature. The incident involved hackers potentially obtaining login details for a key government website used by millions of people, which could lead to serious consequences such as ID fraud and misuse of personal information [53522]. Additionally, the incident involving the hacking of computer systems holding confidential parliamentary documents also indicates a significant breach that may have long-lasting implications [53522].
Behaviour omission, value, other (a) crash: The incident involving the hack on the Government Gateway website did not result in a system crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [53522]. (b) omission: The software failure incident related to the hack on the Government Gateway website could potentially lead to omission failures where the system omits to perform its intended functions, such as protecting sensitive personal information like child maintenance payments, state pensions, and individuals' details on the childminder register [53522]. (c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident is not explicitly mentioned in the articles provided. (d) value: The software failure incident could lead to value failures where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly, potentially exposing personal details to hackers [53522]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [53522]. (f) other: The software failure incident could also be categorized as a security breach, where unauthorized access to sensitive information occurred due to the hack on the Government Gateway website [53522].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) unknown (b) unknown (c) unknown (d) Property: The software failure incident involved hackers potentially obtaining login details for a key government website, which could lead to personal details being harvested from the Government Gateway website. This could impact individuals' sensitive personal information such as child maintenance payments, state pensions, and individuals on the childminder register [53522]. (e) unknown (f) Non-human: The software failure incident involved the hacking of computer systems that held confidential documents of parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah. This breach impacted the confidential documents stored on the computer systems [53522]. (g) no_consequence: The Cabinet Office insisted that no data on the Government Gateway had been breached or leaked in any way [53522]. (h) Theoretical_consequence: Cyber-security experts warned that ID fraud gangs could potentially use the obtained information to claim benefits or get migrants jobs [53522]. (i) unknown
Domain government (a) The failed system was intended to support the government industry. The software failure incident involved a key government website, the Government Gateway, which is used by millions of people for various public services such as applying for passports and paying income tax. The incident involved hackers potentially obtaining login details for this government website, raising concerns about the security of personal information stored on the platform [53522]. Additionally, the incident mentioned a breach of confidential documents related to parliamentary work by MP Chi Onwurah, further emphasizing the government sector's involvement in the software failure incident [53522].

Sources

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