| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Oberlin College experienced a hack where hackers breached the system that stores applicant information, offering applicants the chance to buy and view their admissions file for a fee [82240].
- Oberlin College acknowledged the hack, stating that the incident affected a limited number of prospective students and applicants [82240].
- Oberlin College mentioned that Social Security numbers for students completing the new student registration process between fall 2014 and fall 2018 were potentially exposed in the breach [82240].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The incident at Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College involved hackers breaching the system that stores applicant information and demanding ransom from prospective students for access to their admissions files [82240].
- All three colleges affected by the breach use Slate, a popular software system for managing applicants' information [82240].
- The incident at the colleges occurred amidst growing concerns about cybersecurity in colleges and universities, with Chinese hackers targeting universities in the U.S. and other countries for research theft [82240]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to the design phase. The incident occurred due to hackers breaching the system that stores applicant information for three private colleges - Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the system to access confidential information in the applicant's file and demanded ransom from prospective students for personal information they claimed to have stolen. This breach was a result of a flaw in the design or implementation of the system's security measures, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data [82240].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The incident involved the unauthorized access to applicant information stored in the admissions systems of the colleges. This unauthorized access was a result of the operation of the system, where hackers were able to exploit weaknesses in the system's security measures to gain access to personal data. The colleges had to engage cybersecurity professionals to assist in investigating the breach and took additional steps to prevent further unauthorized access to applicant records, indicating operational failures in ensuring the security of the system [82240]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles was due to hackers breaching the system that stores applicant information for Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The hackers gained unauthorized access to the admissions systems of these colleges, offering applicants the chance to buy and view their admissions files for a fee. This breach originated from within the system, indicating a failure within the software's security measures [82240].
(b) outside_system: The incident also highlighted the growing concern of cybersecurity in colleges and universities, with Chinese hackers targeting multiple universities in the United States and other countries to steal research. This external threat to the system's security shows that factors originating from outside the system, such as external cyber attacks, can contribute to software failure incidents [82240]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically hackers breaching the system that stores applicant information for Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The hackers offered applicants the chance to buy and view their admissions file for a fee, demanding thousands of dollars in ransom for personal information they claimed to have stolen. This breach was not caused by human actions within the colleges but rather by external malicious actors exploiting vulnerabilities in the system [82240].
(b) However, human actions were also involved in responding to the incident. The colleges, such as Grinnell and Hamilton, took steps to address the hacking incident by contacting appropriate authorities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and engaging cybersecurity professionals to assist in the investigation. They also communicated with affected individuals and advised them not to respond to the fraudulent emails. These human actions were aimed at mitigating the impact of the software failure incident and preventing further unauthorized access to applicant records [82240]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was primarily due to a breach in the system that stores applicant information for Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. Hackers gained unauthorized access to the system, offering applicants the chance to buy and view their admissions file for a fee. This breach was a result of external factors related to cybersecurity threats and unauthorized access, rather than originating from hardware issues [82240].
(b) The software failure incident was directly related to the use of Slate, a popular software system used by the three colleges to manage applicants' information. The breach and unauthorized access to applicant data were facilitated by vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the software system, allowing hackers to exploit the system and demand ransom from prospective students for their personal information [82240]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. Hackers breached the system storing applicant information for three private colleges - Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The hackers then emailed applicants offering them the chance to buy and view their admissions file for a fee, promising access to confidential information in the applicant’s file, including comments from admissions officers and a tentative decision. The emails demanded thousands of dollars in ransom from prospective students for personal information the hackers claimed to have stolen. The incident involved unauthorized access to databases and the intentional extortion of money from applicants by threatening to leak their confidential information [82240]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was due to poor_decisions. The hackers breached the system storing applicant information for three private colleges and offered applicants the chance to buy and view their admissions file for a fee, promising access to confidential information. The emails demanded thousands of dollars in ransom from prospective students for personal information claimed to have been stolen [82240]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the breach of the system storing applicant information for Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. Hackers were able to access confidential information in the applicant's file, including comments from admissions officers and a tentative decision, and demanded ransom from prospective students for this stolen personal information. This breach highlights a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security and integrity of the software system used by these colleges [82240].
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is seen in the unauthorized access gained by hackers to the admissions systems of Hamilton College and Oberlin College. Both colleges acknowledged that someone gained unauthorized access to their systems, leading to the compromise of application information. This unauthorized access was not intentional but rather accidental, highlighting vulnerabilities in the system that were exploited by external actors [82240]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles appears to be temporary as it was caused by hackers breaching the system that stores applicant information for three private colleges - Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The incident involved unauthorized access to databases and emails being sent to applicants offering to sell access to their admissions files for a ransom. The colleges took immediate action, contacted appropriate authorities like the FBI, engaged cybersecurity professionals, and implemented additional security measures to prevent further unauthorized access to applicant records [82240]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash as the system lost its state and was not performing its intended functions. The hackers breached the system storing applicant information for three private colleges - Oberlin College, Grinnell College, and Hamilton College. The breach led to unauthorized access to the database containing personally identifiable information of prospective students, and the hackers demanded ransom from the applicants for access to their admissions files [82240].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission as the system omitted to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The breach resulted in the omission of proper security measures to protect the personal information of the applicants. The colleges had to contact appropriate authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to address the issue and ensure the security of the affected individuals [82240].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not align with a timing failure as the system was not performing its intended functions too late or too early. The incident primarily involved a breach of security leading to unauthorized access to applicant information, rather than a delay in the system's operations [82240].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a value failure as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly. The breach resulted in the compromise of personal information such as names, addresses, birthdays, and emails of the applicants. Additionally, Social Security numbers for students completing the new student registration process at Oberlin between fall 2014 and fall 2018 were potentially exposed, indicating a failure in protecting sensitive data [82240].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident primarily involved a breach of security leading to unauthorized access to applicant information, rather than erratic or inconsistent behavior of the system [82240].
(f) other: The software failure incident can be further described as a security breach leading to unauthorized access to confidential applicant information. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the system to gain access to admissions files and demanded ransom from prospective students. The affected colleges took immediate steps to investigate the incident, engage cybersecurity professionals, and prevent further unauthorized access to applicant records [82240]. |