| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- In May, hackers seized control of thousands of government computers in Baltimore, disabling email accounts and preventing online payments to city departments for weeks [88565].
- The city estimated losses of around $18m from the attack, where the hackers demanded $100,000 worth of Bitcoin [88565].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- Hackers have targeted a number of US states this year, paralyzing government computers in New York, Maryland, and Florida [88565].
- In June, council leaders in Riviera Beach, Florida, voted to pay almost $600,000 in Bitcoin to hackers who paralyzed the city's computer systems for weeks [88565].
- A week later, officials in Lake City, Florida paid hackers $500,000 following a similar ransomware demand [88565]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the ransomware attack on Texas government organisations [88565]. The attack was a result of malicious software that disabled computers and data until a ransom was paid. This incident was a clear example of a failure due to contributing factors introduced by system development or updates, as the ransomware was able to infiltrate the systems and cause disruption.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the aftermath of the ransomware attacks on various US states, including Baltimore, New York, Maryland, and Florida [88565]. These attacks paralyzed government computers, disabled email accounts, and prevented online payments to city departments. The operational failure was due to the misuse of the systems by hackers who exploited vulnerabilities to disrupt normal operations and demand ransom payments. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to ransomware attacks that disabled computers and data within the systems of various government organisations in Texas [88565]. The ransomware was a type of malicious software used by cyber-criminals to disable the computers until a ransom was paid. The attack affected 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas, indicating that the failure originated from within the system itself. The Texas Department of Information Resources mentioned that evidence suggested the attacks came from one single threat actor, further emphasizing the internal nature of the incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to non-human actions, specifically a ransomware attack. The attack on 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas was caused by malicious software deployed by cyber-criminals, disabling computers and data until a ransom is paid [88565].
(b) The software failure incident can also be attributed to human actions. The hackers behind the ransomware attack are responsible for introducing the contributing factors that led to the failure. Additionally, decisions made by city officials in response to the attack, such as the choice to pay the ransom in some cases, can be considered human actions that influenced the outcome of the incident [88565]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article reports on a ransomware attack that affected 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas [88565].
- Ransomware is a type of malicious software that disables a computer and its data until a payment is made.
- The attack disabled government computers in various states, including New York, Maryland, and Florida.
- The Texas Department of Information Resources indicated that the attack primarily affected smaller local government departments, suggesting that the hardware failure could be due to vulnerabilities in the hardware systems used by these organisations.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The primary cause of the software failure incident reported in the article is ransomware, which is a type of malicious software used by cyber-criminals to disable computers and data until a ransom is paid.
- The ransomware attack on the Texan government organisations was co-ordinated and came from one single threat actor.
- The attack disabled email accounts, prevented online payments, and affected government computers in various states.
- The incident highlights a software failure caused by the malicious software (ransomware) infiltrating the systems and disrupting their operations. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 88565 is malicious in nature. It involves a ransomware attack where hackers intentionally infected 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas with ransomware. The attack was coordinated and aimed at disabling computers and data until a ransom was paid. The attackers demanded ransom payments in Bitcoin, and the incident led to significant disruptions and financial losses for the affected entities [88565]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be inferred from the ransomware attack on Texas government organisations [88565]. The attack was a result of hackers infecting 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas with ransomware. The attack was described as co-ordinated, indicating a deliberate and planned effort by threat actors. Additionally, the attack primarily affected smaller local government departments, suggesting a strategic targeting of vulnerable entities. The decision to target government organisations with ransomware reflects a poor decision made by the hackers to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the ransomware attack on 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas. The attack was co-ordinated and affected smaller local government departments, indicating a level of sophistication and planning by the threat actor [88565].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is temporary. The ransomware attack on the Texas government organisations resulted in the disabling of computers and data until a ransom was paid. This type of malicious software temporarily disables the systems until the payment is made, indicating that the failure was not permanent [88565]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is related to a ransomware attack on 23 organisations connected to local government in Texas. The ransomware attack disabled the computers and data of these organisations until a payment was made, indicating a crash where the system lost its state and was unable to perform its intended functions [88565].
(b) omission: The ransomware attack resulted in the omission of the intended functions of the affected systems, as they were disabled and unable to operate normally until the ransom was paid [88565].
(c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident is not explicitly mentioned in the article. However, it can be inferred that the attack occurred over the weekend and was still ongoing on Monday morning, indicating that the system was not performing its intended functions at the right time [88565].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Instead, the failure was due to the system being disabled by the ransomware attack, leading to a loss of access to data and functionality [88565].
(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 ransomware attack described in the article primarily resulted in disabling the systems until a ransom was paid, rather than exhibiting inconsistent behavior [88565].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited in this software failure incident is the intentional disabling of the systems by cyber-criminals through the deployment of ransomware. This deliberate act of compromising the systems' functionality for financial gain is a significant aspect of the incident [88565]. |