| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The article mentions that FedEx, the giant package shipper, was hit in the attack that began on Friday but had "resumed normal operations" and that its computer systems were healthy again [59000].
- Disney's chief executive, Robert A. Iger, mentioned at a town-hall meeting that hackers had contacted the company to claim access to one of its unreleased movies and had demanded a ransom. Disney is not paying the ransom and is working with federal investigators to resolve the matter [59000].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article reports disruptions at nearly 40,000 organizations in China, including academic institutions, due to the attack [59000].
- The National Health Service in Britain struggled to get hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices fully operational after the attack, causing patients to be turned away from emergency rooms and medical appointments to be rescheduled [59000]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily related to the design phase. The incident was a global hack that affected thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France [59000]. The hack locked up at least 200,000 machines and spread to thousands of additional computers, impacting various organizations worldwide. The attackers demanded a ransom in Bitcoin, and companies like Renault and Deutsche Bahn had to deal with the fallout, including shutting down factories and assessing the damage caused by the hack.
(b) The software failure incident also has elements related to the operation phase. For example, the National Health Service in Britain struggled to get hospitals and clinics fully operational after the attack, causing disruptions in patient care and medical appointments [59000]. Additionally, China reported disruptions at nearly 40,000 organizations, including academic institutions and businesses, due to the hack. The attack affected the operation of PetroChina's gas stations, disrupting electronic payment capabilities until the systems were restored to normal functioning. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to a global hack that affected thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France [59000]. The incident involved ransomware that infected computers within the system, leading to disruptions in operations and potential data loss. The malware used in the attack was sophisticated, but the mechanism by which it entered the computers and spread was not as advanced, according to security experts [59000].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was triggered by external factors, specifically a global hack that targeted organizations worldwide. The attack originated from outside the affected systems and spread rapidly, impacting various sectors such as healthcare, transportation, and education [59000]. The ransom demands in the form of Bitcoin payments were part of the external coercion faced by the affected companies and institutions. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 59000 was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a global hack that affected thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France. The hack locked up at least 200,000 machines and demanded a $300 Bitcoin ransom with a threat to erase data. The malware used in the attack was sophisticated, and the attack spread to thousands of additional computers, causing disruptions globally [59000].
(b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident described in Article 59000. For example, some organizations affected by the hack had to decide whether to pay the ransom or rely on backups. Additionally, the article mentions that some companies do not report attacks for fear of damaging their corporate reputations. Furthermore, the article highlights how the ransomware attack was a growing problem, with a significant increase in ransomware-related spam from 2015 to the present [59000]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was primarily due to a global hack that affected thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France [59000]. The hack led to disruptions in various organizations, such as universities, hospitals, and businesses, by locking up machines and demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin. The incident caused significant operational impacts, such as factories being shut down, production slowdowns, and disruptions in services like electronic payments at gas stations [59000].
(b) The software failure incident was caused by a sophisticated malware attack that spread through computers and networks, affecting organizations worldwide. The malware used in the attack was ransomware, which encrypted data and demanded ransom payments in Bitcoin for decryption. The attack highlighted the growing problem of ransomware, with a significant increase in ransomware-related spam from less than 1% in 2015 to 40% in recent years [59000]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. It was a global hack that hit thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France, causing disruptions and demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin [59000]. The attack involved sophisticated malware that spread rapidly, affecting various organizations worldwide, such as universities, hospitals, businesses, and even government agencies like the National Health Service in Britain [59000].
(b) The software failure incident was not non-malicious as it was a deliberate cyberattack aimed at causing harm and extracting ransom payments from the affected organizations. The attackers used ransomware to encrypt data and demanded payments in exchange for decryption keys, indicating a malicious intent behind the software failure incident [59000]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be seen in the article where it mentions that some companies affected by the hack are trying to determine whether they should pay the ransom or if they have backups that will allow them to avoid giving in [59000]. This decision-making process regarding whether to pay the ransom or not can be crucial in the aftermath of a hack incident.
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental decisions is evident in the article where it discusses how the malware used by the attackers was sophisticated, but the collection mechanism was not by the current standards of ransomware. This lack of advanced payment-easing features may have contributed to the modest level of estimated payments so far, indicating a potential unintended consequence of the attackers' decisions [59000]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence as it was a result of a global hack that hit thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France [59000]. The hack caused disruptions in various organizations, such as universities, hospitals, and businesses, indicating a lack of professional competence in ensuring robust cybersecurity measures to prevent such incidents.
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be categorized as accidental, as the malware used by the attackers was described as sophisticated, suggesting that the attack was not a simple or accidental occurrence [59000]. The attack was a deliberate act by cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems, rather than a random or unintentional event. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is temporary. The incident involved a global hack that hit thousands of businesses, including Renault's auto plant in France, causing disruptions and forcing the factory to shut down temporarily. Companies and institutions affected by the hack were racing to assess the damage, clean and reboot systems, and determine if they had lost any data or if their systems were safe [59000]. Additionally, the article mentions that some organizations affected by the hack, like FedEx, had resumed normal operations after dealing with the software failure incident [59000].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered temporary as the incident was caused by a global ransomware attack that affected various organizations worldwide. The attack disrupted operations in different countries, such as China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, but organizations were working to recover and resume normal activities. For example, China reported disruptions at nearly 40,000 organizations, including academic institutions and businesses, but many organizations emphasized that their business operations had not been impaired [59000]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash as it resulted in the system losing its state and not being able to perform its intended functions. The incident caused disruptions in various organizations and institutions, such as Renault's auto plant in France, Deutsche Bahn in Germany, and the National Health Service in Britain, leading to partial shutdowns, delays in operations, and disruptions in services [59000].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be attributed to omission, as the system omitted to perform its intended functions at instances. For example, the National Health Service in Britain struggled to get hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices fully operational, causing patients to be turned away from emergency rooms and medical appointments to be rescheduled [59000].
(c) timing: While the software failure incident did not directly relate to timing issues, it did involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly or being unable to perform them due to the hack. The incident led to disruptions and delays in operations across various organizations, impacting their normal functioning [59000].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be linked to a failure in value, as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly due to the hack. For instance, the attack disrupted the electronic payment capabilities at PetroChina's gas stations in China, causing operational issues until the systems were restored [59000].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions within a system. The incident primarily involved a global hack that locked up thousands of machines, demanded ransom payments, and disrupted operations in various organizations, showcasing a more straightforward impact on the affected systems [59000].
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as an "other" behavior as well, considering the widespread impact and disruptions caused by the hack. The incident led to companies and institutions facing challenges such as deciding whether to pay the ransom, assessing data loss, and dealing with the aftermath of the attack. It also highlighted the growing problem of ransomware attacks globally, emphasizing the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures [59000]. |